Ecclesiastes: Answering Absurdity

Ecclesiastes: Answering Absurdity

In learning English grammar, we learn basic rules like “i before e.” But then, once we have the rules mastered, we then are taught that there are all the exceptions to the rules, like “except after c, or when sounding like “a”, as in neighbor and weigh.” Some have wondered how Ecclesiastes fits in the Bible at all; but if we are honest, for many people, the same question fits when asking how God is in charge of anything at all. The world seems full of contradictions, exceptions, and frustrations. Ecclesiastes is an invitation to see the world most fully for what it is: God’s good creation, wounded by sin, full of joy and sadness, delight and despair, and that answers sometimes amount to sheer absurdity. As we long and look for the day when all absurdity is answered, we can draw comfort with a God who isn’t afraid to “go there” with us and acknowledge how messy and mixed up things really are.