Cycles and Weariness (Ecc 1:4-8)

CYCLES AND WEARINESS (Ecc 1:4-8):

There are many people who live in the world at present and there were people who lived in the past and there will be people who will be living in the future. The author expresses that the generation goes and another generation comes, which is the case of the whole world since the beginning and no one can deny it. Also, the same cycle of birth and death will be continued in the future. But, in spite of the infiniteness and feebleness of most of the living and non-living beings, there are certain things that were continuously happening, for the sustenance of life on earth and even making life on earth possible. If the earth loses its flavor and undergoes even a small change day by day, that is not favorable for life on the planet, the change would have caused much devastation over a long period of time and it would have been much worse. Though the earth remains forever, there are certain human activities that caused many demolitions on the surface of the earth which collapses the nature in many ways and places.

There are day and night which ensues again and again and we calculate the time based on it. The sun seems to rise and appear in the morning and it seems to be slowly moving around an axis and hastens to disappear at night. Though the earth rotates around the sun, the author explains according to the knowledge they had at that time with a mere observation of the happenings that are repetitive. Also, the wind is not stable and blowing in a particular direction always. Even in a day, the blowing of wind changes from one direction to another depending on many factors and weather. The author perceives that the flow of the wind is towards the south and then goes around the north and again moves around to come again to the place where it blew again. This cycle continues without no end since the beginning of its creation.

Also, there were rivers and streams flowing through the lands which provide nourishment to the greeneries of the land. The author says that the streams run to the sea but even after flowing into the sea over a longer period of time, the streams don’t get filled and deluge into the land. And the streams are not dried too, the waters flow again and again through the streams. Again it is a mere observation, as we know that the water of the sea gets evaporated, fallen back into the land as rain, then flows as the streams in the land and runs into the sea. All the important cycles of the earth occur without weariness but the life of man is full of weariness and the labors, efforts, commitments, decisions, and works of the man will not enable him to utter it due to intertwining and complex dependability. The eyes of the men had seen many things and the ears heard many things but nothing stays throughout and no one ever says that they need it no more. There is no satisfaction and contentedness in seeing or hearing or any other effort.

Stimulations for Self-Reflection:

1.    What is the cycle of things that the author expresses?

2.    What goes and what comes? How?

3.    Which remains forever? How?

4.    What goes down and hastens? How?

5.    What goes around? How?

6.    What flows again and again? How?

7.    What all things are full of? Why?

8.    Why a man cannot utter the weariness of all things?

9.    What the eye and ear are not satisfied with? Why?

10. How we could find satisfaction in everything and get rid of weariness?