A letter from Thomas Goetz in Japan
September 2011
Ecclesiastes 3:1–13
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what 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 throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, 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 for war, and a time for peace.
Greetings and welcome to the first Friday of the fall semester here at Hokusei Gakuen University and Hokusei Gakuen University Junior College. I hope that your summer break was restful and fun. Mine was eventful. Our daughter who lives in Tokyo came to visit for about a week. As a family we went to Hell and back! No, really, we went to Hell's Valley in Noboribetsu for two nights. I made a comment on my Facebook page that should anyone actually tell me to go to hell, then I shall catch a bus for Noboribetsu and check in to my favorite hotel for a couple days, walk up to the valley, and over to the stream. But, seriously, welcome back and I hope you are looking forward to a fall semester full of new challenges and chances to develop current friendships while making new ones.
The title for this talk comes from one of the most famous and familiar books in the Old Testament. The author of this book is commonly thought to be Solomon, one of the kings of Israel. There are, however, some questions about who the real author is. For example, within the book's original Hebrew language there are a few Persian and Aramaic words that were not in use during the time of King Solomon. While we may never know who wrote it, we can see that the author, commonly referred to as "the preacher," offers thoughts on life, death and what it all means. In fact, this passage is very interesting in that it is both philosophical and famous. It is often read at funerals, while sometimes, if you are lucky, you can hear these same words sung to a popular tune on the radio.
In 1959 an American folksinger named Pete Seeger set these words to music and called it "Turn! Turn! Turn!" But the song did not stop there. In 1965 the really popular American rock band The Byrds recorded the song and it rocketed to number one on the U.S. singles chart. Does the name David Crosby mean anything to you? He was a member of The Byrds and a friend of Eric Clapton.
So, I ask you, what does pure truth look like? What does it sound like? Here we have words that many regard as pure truth. They were written sometime during the Iron Age on the edge of Western Asia and became a chart-topping hit.
And in the in-between time, how many billions of people have not only heard these same words but been touched by them? We shall never know exactly, but in all sincerity, it is reasonable to think that Jesus knew these words well. Many aspects of Jesus' ministry show evidence of these words in action. A time to gather together—his disciples. A time to send them away. A time to call out and name wrong for wrong, as he did with Zaccheaus, the corrupt tax collector. A time to forgive, as he did with the woman caught in adultery. A time to heal, as he did with blind Bartimaeus.
These words appear to fit Jesus' ministry as a kind of outline or road map. And these same words can give us a similar kind of outline or road map as well if we so want.
It has been 10 years since 9/11.
Where were you?
When did you learn about it?
In those days, the Internet was not so great. We had modems and mainly used the Internet for emailing. Ordering a book from Amazon.com was a thrill. I got my news from television and radio, particularly the shortwave radio. My favorite stations were the World Service of the BBC—British Broadcasting Company—and the VOA—Voice of America. Before the events happened, I had just finished listening to the evening broadcasts. My radio was off and I fell asleep. On September 12, Wednesday, I woke up to hear my wife screaming in horror. She had turned on the television as part of her normal morning routine and saw everything. From that time, for weeks, months, years, how could life be normal? And normal it would never be. The U.S. president, George Bush, wasted no time in attacking not just one country, but two. Both wars are in progress as we speak and America is out of money.
There is a time for peace. I swear it is not too late. I hope that your time at Hokusei Gakuen will give you many opportunities not only to learn what peace is, but how to set it into action. Let us listen again to the words of the preacher and may it impact your life in many and wonderful ways:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what 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 throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, 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 for war, and a time for peace.
Let us hold a moment of silence as a closing prayer.... Amen.
The 2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 148
The 2012 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 200
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