I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ecclesiastes 1-6.

    The Book of Ecclesiastes can be depressing. The writer starts out by telling us that everything is meaningless. That is the theme throughout much of the book, the writer tells us again and again that our striving will accomplish nothing. However, sprinkled in the midst of this is the reminder that God is in control and has a plan. Further, the writer shows us that if we look closely everything that happens has happened before, both the good things and the bad things. Further, he tells us that one of our problems is that we do not remember what has happened in the past. Or, as I have heard said, everyone tends to think that history began with themselves.

    I want to take a minute to talk about what that means. In the 90s, there were people who talked about the “end of history” and the “new economy”. When they said this they meant that the lessons of history no longer applied, either to world politics or to economics. Things were different now! Then the dot com bubble burst and 9/11 happened. They discovered that the “new economy” was just like the old economy and world politics worked like it always had. Once more I am hearing that people are saying that there is a new normal, that we have to accept the way things are. However, this time the things we have to accept are not good things, they are referring to political instability around the world, increased terrorist attacks, and a world economy that is stagnant (or worse). However, those pessimists are just as wrong as the optimists of the 90s.

    How do I know this? Well, partly because this passage tells me so. However, I remember a time when world events were much like they are today: the economy was stagnant, many parts of the world were politically unstable, terrorist attacks were on the increase. Everyone was convinced that all of these problems were to big and complicated to be addressed (well, not quite everyone, but talking about them is not my point today). Despite the fact that “everyone” knew there was nothing that could be done to change that situation, it did change(otherwise we would never have had the 90s). I do not know if we are going to see a repeat of what happened in the 80s and 90s, or if we are going to see something that resembles the fall of Babylon. What I do know is that there is a time for everything, “A time to cry and a time to laugh.” I, also, know that God has a plan and things will happen according to His timeline.