PAIN AND SUFFERING

COMMENT

The more pain and suffering we endure, the better we can empathize with the position others face during their times of distress. We learn more through our failure and loss than through our success and winning.

A RESPONSE

Thank you for telling us all how lucky we are to suffer and what life is meant to show us. What audacious and arrogant religious claptrap and hypocrisy. Yet, how typical.

VANSWER

Kohelet, the writer of Ecclesiastes, says many times in his writings that life should be full of pleasure and joy – “eat your food with gladness and drink your wine with a joyful heart,” and “life is sweet and it is a pleasure to see the light of day.” When it comes to the section being discussed he has just made the point that dying with a good reputation is better than have a lavish funeral. With this in mind he advises people to attend funerals as well as parties for “death is the destiny of every person and the living should take this to heart.” When we go to a funeral it helps us to take stock of our own lives and think about how we are living. He closes by saying “wise people accept sorrow but fools seek only pleasure.” Kohelet is teaching us to live well by remembering how brief live truly is and what matters most in life.

Hope that is helpful.