“I had no idea how cynical the Book of Ecclesiastes could be,” I told my writing group a couple of weeks ago. “It also contradicts itself over and over again: Life sucks, and then it’s beautiful. There’s no reward in heaven, but God cares about us. Rich people can’t be trusted, yet they are chosen to rule. It just doesn’t make sense.”<\/p>\n
Despite my frustrations with the book, I have to say I love it. It’s so dang human. I’m cynical too, so I can relate to the cranky narrator Qoheleth. I too wonder why God appears so often to be AWOL. And I have traveled the life-sucks-but-it-is-beautiful carousel more times than I can count.<\/p>\n
Ecclesiastes tells us that for everything, there is a season. There’s a season for all of the contradictory things mentioned in chapter 3: both mourning and dancing, destroying and healing, persisting and giving up, loving and (even) hating. This is one of the Bible’s most life-affirming passages, and it points to contradiction as a necessary source of life and vigor.<\/p>\n
I will take that on my spiritual journey. Or maybe I won’t. Or sometimes I will, and other times I won’t. Whatever. It’s all good, according to Qoheleth.<\/p>\n
#Twible overview of Ecclesiastes: Grumpy pundit Qoheleth dishes on life, wisdom, vanity, etc. He\u2019s dead now, as he predicted. Ah, futility.<\/p>\n
#Twible Eccl 1: \u201cBeen there, done that. Same old, same old. I got nothin\u2019. Life sucks & then you die. Eat, drink & be merry.\u201d Inspired yet?<\/p>\n
#Twible Eccl 2: Q shocks all by saying that wisdom\u2019s overrated: The wise die, just like fools. Ironically, his book\u2019s branded as wisdom lit.<\/p>\n
#Twible Eccl 3: For everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season . . .Except for orange plaid. There is absolutely NO season for that.<\/p>\n
#Twible Eccl 4: \u201cThe dead are luckier than the living, but the REALLY blessed are those who were never born at all.\u201d Isn\u2019t Q a cheery guy?<\/p>\n
#Twible Eccl 5: Q says that rich people don\u2019t sleep well b\/c of guilt over their extra wealth. FYI, he\u2019ll totally contradict this tomorrow.<\/p>\n
#Twible Eccl 6: \u201cWhat few days remain in your vain life are best spent enjoying wealth.\u201d The Bible has stepped out to Saks. Back in a mo.<\/p>\n
#Twible Eccl 7: Q says he\u2019s been around the block a bit in his utterly meaningless life & warns: Don\u2019t be too good OR too evil. A fine line.<\/p>\n
#Twible Eccl 8: Q looks on as Mr. Wicked Evil Neighbor\u2019s buried w full honors & a sumptuous funeral. And\u2026Q\u2019s back on the vanity train again.<\/p>\n
#Twible Eccl 9: The dead are lost forever; they have no reward. Enjoy life while you can, since you\u2019ll be forgotten. Bottoms up, mate!<\/p>\n
#Twible Eccl 10: The anti-Magnificat. Q tsk-tsks princes walking on foot while slaves ride on horseback. The rich deserve to rule. Hmph.<\/p>\n
#Twible Eccl 11: Q says we don\u2019t know much about history. Don\u2019t know much theology. Don\u2019t know much about NOTHIN\u2019, so\u2026Don\u2019t worry. Be happy.<\/p>\n
#Twible Eccl 12: Of making many books there is no end, & most are a waste of trees. Of course, that didn\u2019t stop Q from writing 1 of his own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“I had no idea how cynical the Book of Ecclesiastes could be,” I told my writing group a couple of weeks ago. “It also contradicts itself over and over again: Life sucks, and then it’s beautiful. There’s no reward in heaven, but God cares about us. Rich people can’t be trusted, yet they are chosen…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":226,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4],"tags":[643,645,654,655,656,646,647,648,649,650,651,652,653,22,644,21,1145,72],"class_list":["post-1414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible","category-twible","tag-ecclesiastes","tag-ecclesiastes-1","tag-ecclesiastes-10","tag-ecclesiastes-11","tag-ecclesiastes-12","tag-ecclesiastes-2","tag-ecclesiastes-3","tag-ecclesiastes-4","tag-ecclesiastes-5","tag-ecclesiastes-6","tag-ecclesiastes-7","tag-ecclesiastes-8","tag-ecclesiastes-9","tag-flunking-sainthood","tag-for-everything-there-is-a-season","tag-jana-riess","tag-twible","tag-twitter-bible"],"yoast_head":"\n