I got in the mood to re-read Ecclesiastes. I got out my King James version and read all 12 "chapters" of the short book. I guess my mood was urged on me by watching the Disney film Coco for a second time. The animated film can be emotional, at least to a small extent for me. It depicts a young boy's search through the regions of the afterlife, the first region for those still remembered by the living, and the second more of a wispy area where one drifts off when no living person remembers a given deceased person. His visit and related ideas are connected to the Day of the Dead of Mexican tradition.
Ecclesiastes is said by several authories to be controversial, and in places self-contradictory. I think I can sum up its message as
"Nothing lasts",
"You will die someday" and
"You will be forgotten".
I think all three parts are true, fully acceptable and natural. When I read the King James version (1611), there are many verses I don't understand. So, I tried looking at the New International Version (1978 and a couple more afterwards). I wound up trying to download the NIV Study Bible into my Kindle. It is an old Kindle version, not currently sold new. That book and both of my Kindles kept reloading and updating once I tried to get a book I had paid for. It got super frustrating. I tried lots of tricks and ideas, but nothing helped. I called Amazon customer service and got a nice, understanding person who could suggest nothing I hadn't tried already.
I sent away for a refurbished version of my favorite Kindle. It came today and maybe if I stay away from the NIV Bible and just read sex and murder, things will work out.
