This week I am starting a new study with a group of friends discussing the Book of Ecclesiastes. I have been fascinated by Ecclesiastes for a long time. There is a grittiness and recklessness to it that I can’t help but be drawn to.
Qohelet, or the teacher/preacher, presents life in all of its cycles and paradoxes, evaluates it and at times leaves you with a sense of hopelessness. It isn’t afraid to delve into some of life’s bigger mysteries and be okay with the ambiguity of unanswered questions. It acknowledges that there are times when we feel hopeless or defeated but it encourages us to find meaning in all of it and to live a life where joy and suffering are an integrated part of our day to day activities.
That’s why I am calling this study “Finding meaning in a meaningless world.” For clarification, I don’t think that the world that we live in is meaningless, but it can definitely feel that way at times. The teacher, or quohelet, encourages us to be honest about our struggles and the parts of life that just suck while having faith that God is with us through all of it.
For the next few weeks I’ll be sharing some of my findings in this study with you on this blog. So if you are feeling like you are in a meaningless cycle of life or that things keep going from bad to worse, name it in prayer to God and invite Him into your mess. Then join me here next week for our first session of finding “Meaning in the Meaningless”.
In faith, hope and love,
Matt
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