Ecclesiastes is probably one of the latest books written in the Hebrew Bible, or the Old Testament as many Christians known the first portion of their scriptures, and was also one of the books that many ancient and modern people have wondered how it fits in the Bible. These reflections from 2016 walk through this short book of wisdom in both Jewish adn Christian scriptures. Ecclesiastes wanders boldly into the absurdity and senselessness of the world of the Teacher, Qohelet (the word that is translated the Teacher or in other translations the preacher and how I will refer to the author throughout these reflections). It is not only in our time where disillusionment can creep in and mocks any sentimental religiosity or easy answers. Perhaps the entirety of this short work is vanity, perhaps it is wisdom or foolishness, for many it will be unsatisfying and for others it will be a voice singing in the choir of those willing to peer honestly into the unresolved questions of a world that often seems devoid of any cosmic wisdom or justice. Below are links to my reflections on the twelve chapters of Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes 1: Chasing After the Wind
Ecclesiastes 2: The Quest for Meaning
Ecclesiastes 3: Approaching Time Wisely
Ecclesiastes 4: The Things that Steal our Peace
Ecclesiastes 5: the Gift of Mortality Before God and in the World
Ecclesiastes 6: The Illusiveness of Joy
Ecclesiastes 7: The Lonely Path of the Seeker
Ecclesiastes 8: Wisdom in an Uncertain World
Ecclesiastes 9: Staring into the Abyss and Finding Peace
Ecclesiastes 10: Wisdom, Life and the King
Ecclesiastes 11: Proverbs for Life in an Uncertain World
Ecclesiastes 12: The End of Wisdom
Sign of the Rose 