The Genius Of Ecclesiastes

 ... is something I didn't know until now.

I'm making my way through Father Mike Schmidt's excellent Bible in a Year podcast and I've just finished Ecclesiastes, an Old Testament book. It is pure genius. Here's a tidbit.

All things are wearisome, too wearisome for words. The eye is not satisfied by seeing nor has the ear enough of hearing. 

What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun! Even the thing of which we say, “See, this is new!” has already existed in the ages that preceded us.

There is no remembrance of past generations; nor will future generations be remembered by those who come after them.

The central point of Ecclesiastes is that our lives are short and practically no one is remembered in the end. It wrestles with the ideas of time and mortality.

As I get older, I struggle with this as well. Just what does it all mean? How should I spend the time I have left? What difference does it all make? My accomplishments to date are so small in the grand scheme of things!

Jesus answers this question in the Gospels, preaching that each of us is precious in the eyes of God. That really came home to me as I listened to Ecclesiastes. Yes, I will soon be dust and my name forgotten, but to the Creator of the Universe, I was worth the life of His only son.

What is having your name remembered compared to that?