Work and Vocation through the Lens of Ecclesiastes

Download or read book Work and Vocation through the Lens of Ecclesiastes written by Gilbert Soo Hoo and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2021-10-08 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “I want my work to have significance” is an often-expressed declaration. But that desire faces a shocking challenge from possibly the wisest man who ever lived, Qohelet, through his writings in Ecclesiastes. Repeatedly, he pens the word “meaningless/absurd” to encapsulate his conclusions about work and life. We cannot simply dismiss his viewpoint as that of a madman because his words are canonized in Scripture. However, a second writer, the frame narrator, emerges at the end of Ecclesiastes to complement Qohelet without totally agreeing and with a greater urgency for our duty to God as our vocation. Both writers see the complexities and incongruities that typify our labor and life. Yet, through these challenges we can still find significance when we honor our God.