The New Year is always a time in which I think about Kohellet and his words. It is very likely that you are familiar with them, even if you don’t know it.
Thousands of years ago he coined a number of phrases that live on to this day. I am not crazy about the English translation on the site I linked to, but it will work for now. A couple of samples:
“5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.
9That which hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing whereof it is said: ‘See, this is new’?–it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.
17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly–I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”
What I find so interesting is that we look at our problems today and we forget sometimes that so many of these problems have existed for thousands of years. They may have been somewhat different in their composition, but they were still the same.
If you were a peasant working the field you worried about being able to pay your lord. Now you worry about paying off your Visa. In the end it is still money.
Actually, I have always figured that I am alone in many of my challenges. It is ok, I always am interested in what I have to say and I laugh at all of my jokes. Of course, I have embarrassed myself a few times, but what can you do. 😉
I liked this. It really is true that the more things change the more they stay the same. And it is somehow comforting to know that we are not alone in our travails. Someone somewhere has experienced them as well.