So, I’m reading the book of Ecclesiastes (in the bible) and I keep thinking, man, this guy needed Prozac!
No, seriously, it is a very convicting book, despite its rather depressed tone. Solomon was probably the author, and like most people who have everything their heart desires, he was very unhappy by the end of his life. It probably didn’t help that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines…that would be enough to drive any man to suicide…can you imagine the nagging??? Plus I can’t believe he actually had close relationships with any one of them or his children. It was a recipe for disaster.
But enough about Solomon’s interpersonal relationship issues. The basic premise of the book is that stuff can’t make you happy. All our stress and over-worked-ness gets us precisely nowhere; we all just need to chill and enjoy life. Vanity, vanity- all is vanity.
It avoids nihilism by the repeated emphasis that though materialism is meaningless, there is much that is above and beyond our short lives - and my favorite verse from the entire book is about that: ‘He has set eternity in the hearts of man, but they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.’
Other notable quotes:
“The sun also rises”
“Nothing new under the sun”
“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth”
…and perhaps most famous of all….
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:” turn, turn, turn…
1 comment:
I always liked ecclesiastes. It seemed rather common sense to me. Ofcourse as with any common sense, it is left by the waside to make room for spur of the moment, unthought out decisions. Not that I know about that or anything......
Post a Comment