Both Sides Now: Ecclesiastes and the Human Condition

How we understand ourselves and life in this world is inexorably linked to how we understand God. Knowing ourselves and understanding the world in which we live is something about which we are all concerned. Augustine confessed to God, ‘ I could not find myself, much less find you.’ Sixties’ folk singer Joni Mitchell sang, ‘I’ve looked at life from both sides now’ but lamented, ‘I really dont know life at all.’ In this contemporary look at the book of Ecclesiastes, Peter Brnes takes up these issues. Life is examined honestly and perceptively, confronting us with the realities of life in a fallen world and the inevitablity of death. Thinking carefully about all the apparent meaningless of life can actually be used by God, who is totally good, to lead us to himself. All else fails; God alone is worthy of our trust. Those perplexed by the futility and emptiness of life will find much help here in their search for God, meaning and fulfillment. This book also provides a useful evangelistic resource for Christians keen to share their faith in Christ with others.