“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— A time to give birth and a time to die/A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted/A time to kill and a time to heal/A time to tear down and a time to build up/A time to weep and a time to laugh/A time to mourn and a time to dance/A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones/A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing/A time to search and a time to give up as lost/A time to keep and a time to throw away/A time to tear apart and a time to sew together/A time to be silent and a time to speak/A time to love and a time to hate/A time for war and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
What does it mean?
Loosing My Religion 
did you happen to read my sermon on this? http://toothface.blogspot.com/2009/03/for-everything-there-is-season.html
well you commented on it.. so i guess you did.
my understanding is that even in our dualistic understanding of reality, we see the need for the extremes even though we largely live in the middle of things. i LOVE Ecclesiastes, my fave. book in the bible. mainly because it’s challenging yet simple to understand. well, you can comprehend what is written, but it’s a challenge to understand its meaning. i take joy in the book. it rawks!
and thinking about it… there has been a time for every event under heaven. the world was created, it exists, and so far has been “reset” twice and looks like humanity is forcing a 3rd reset with global warming and what not. the dinos can speak to the second reset, there’s evidence for another catastrophic event that lead to the dinos. so things have been created, lived, died, planted, uprooted, kept and thrown away.
there’s a time to be at war with these words, and a time to be at peace with them.
Reminds me of a Derek Webb song, “This too shall be made right.”
people love you the most for the things you hate
and hate you for loving the things that you cannot keep straight
people judge you on a curve
and tell you you’re getting what you deserve
this too shall be made right
children cannot learn when children cannot eat
stack them like lumber when children cannot sleep
children dream of wishing wells
whose waters quench all the fires of Hell
this too shall be made right
the earth and the sky and the sea are all holding their breath
wars and abuses have nature groaning with death
we say we’re just trying to stay alive
but it looks so much more like a way to die
this too shall be made right
there’s a time for peace and there is a time for war
a time to forgive and a time to settle the score
a time for babies to lose their lives
a time for hunger and genocide
this too shall be made right
I don’t know the suffering of people outside my front door
I join the oppressors of those who i choose to ignore
I’m trading comfort for human life
and that’s not just murder it’s suicide
this too shall be made right
I really like Luke’s thoughts about the world being “reset.”
In this world the way it is set up with the physics of it all, there has to be two extremes. One can’t exist without the other. That’s what I think it’s about.
We’re always doing something – aren’t we?
buddhists call this the ying-yang or the harmony of the opposites in other religions as well. it is a realization that life is seasonal. there is a time to cast down and pick up are references to the ten commandments, according to some Rabbi’s, in my studies, I am finding the ever-circling references to the Exodus. Everything seems to remind the Israelites of where they came from and who rescued them. I think each one alludes to a certain event in Israelite history and also is metaphorical to all that there actually is a time for everything. There are some real interesting books that blur the lines on conversational ethics and theology and the ten commandments and how there almost is a time to break each one, I think accept for 3-4 of them…check out my blog…
There’s a time to understand this passage and a time to be confused. I’ve been both. But lately, confused.
“I think each one alludes to a certain event in Israelite history and also is metaphorical to all that there actually is a time for everything” (George)
Interesting – never heard that one before – duly noted!
I was just watching the show on Jewish Americans – a history in like 3 parts or so – and they were discussing Mordecai Kaplan and his recounstructionism within America – great movement if u ask me. Maybe this idea of a Judaism reconstrcutionism also fits into this ‘time for everything’? I liked Mordecai – reminded me of some of the stuff just now happening in Christianity.
I like Reconstructionism as well, went to one of their shuls a couple of times. The problem for me is that although I like the idea that tradition has a value of of its own whether God or no God, I have this fascination with God that finds no outlet if everything is considered man-made.
“I have this fascination with God that finds no outlet if everything is considered man-made.” (Yael)
Interesting statement – and I have those same leanings.
I just watched 2 atheist comics last night – Carlin and Jeffries – and for some reason their consistent attacks on religion (as founded as some of it is) and the bible seemed ‘hollow’ in their interpretation of it…seemed drearily human and without much substance. But if we get too human in this – then we will also arrive at similar conclusions I think (maybe?)…plus takes any mystery out of life.