Kontakion

Friendship, Reverence, and Money; 4:9-6:12 Central Verse: “For it they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help…A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:10-12 Central Truth: Within the section of verses we hear one of the most popular expressions in weddings, “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” The concept that Qoheleth is bringing forward is not a defense of marriage; even though it is applicable, it is based on the reality of life in ancient times. For instance, the wilderness is a dangerous place; in fact, it still is today and going out in numbers is still the best safety net for camping and any wilderness adventure. It is actually basic science that a threefold cord is stronger. When I go camping, one of the items that I never go without is rope. If I have my choice of any rope I can take, I take para-cord. Para-cord contains 4-7 separate very strong strands, and is good for almost every...

Animals, Justice, and Work: 3:16-4:8 Theme Verse: “I said in my heart with regard to human beings that God is testing them to show that they are but animals. For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and humans have no advantage over the animals; for all is vanity.” Eccl 3:18-19 Central Truth: Qoheleth launches into various streams of thought, literary sound bites, in the next several chapters. Each sound bite has its own story to tell, and in some way its own independent theme. In verses 16-22, Qoheleth decides to talk about the animals. Until the last hundred years humanity has been confident in showing how we as humans are different from the animals. In the past century there has been a lot of discussion on the subject of man and animals, particularly around Darwinian evolution and the idea that humanity descended from apes. Having been a part of many of those discussions my self, I have often ...