While I was doing research for my new project, I read King Solomon’s words in Eccelesiastes:
“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us.” Eccl.1:9-10
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This is why I love to study history. “What goes around, comes around,” we say.The same patterns repeat themselves. There is some comfort knowing that what we experience has already been done before at some point in time. And yet disturbing. What we are experiencing has already happened before, and yet we repeat it. An endless circle of the same.
Though culture and norms may differ at differing points in the world’s history, the challenges people face are similar, human nature the same. We need to learn from each other.
As Solomon said:
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break 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 cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.”
The idea that I want to write about next is the third to last on this list–a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. My tenth great grandparents lived in England over four centuries ago. This is the challenge they faced. I can’t wait to explore their challenges in depth, and in doing so, I may find answers to my own dilemmas.
As Solomon repeated his sentiments: “That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been . . . . ”