Ecclesiastes 8:17

The first time you read Ecclesiastes, it seems very cynical. Its topics include death and the futility of human efforts. That’s not exactly an uplifting read. But if you read it a few more times, you may notice that Ecclesiastes shares the wisdom of acceptance. The book is a search for meaning, but before the author can find meaning, he has to rule out some options that might lure us away from life’s purpose. The wispy distractions are called “vanity” throughout the book. Each example of vanity…