“Nothing under the sun is truly new"

   

History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. Ecclesiastes 1:9–10 (NLT)

 
Hello everyone,
 
Last week, I shared some thoughts about satisfaction. My conclusion was that anything apart from Jesus will never be fully satisfying. Trends and fashions come and go, but a restless wandering occurs among people searching for values and meaning in life.
 
In my inbox this morning, I saw two things piqued my interest. The first was this article: Desire for large families hits 50-year high in America: Gallup | Washington Examiner. The report quoted the president of the American Principles Project, “Overall, this recent survey shows that Americans might finally be climbing out of the anti-family bomb shelter caused by the myths of the 1960s of a population explosion disaster.” Will this have an impact on our culture and our churches?
 
Secondly, I received a link to a podcast on “Trad Wives.” I must confess that I never heard of this term before. That is probably because it is trending on TikTok (which I religiously ignore), generating over 187 million views. Essentially, it is fueled by a desire to return to traditional values. Young women, often Christian, and conservative, are adopting a lifestyle of traditional roles, including submitting to their husbands and even dressing in the styles of the 1950s and 60s. Is it a reaction to the emptiness of contemporary morals and values? As Solomon said, “Nothing under the sun is truly new.”
 
Finally, I continue my series with one-word titles. Today, I reflect on “Rescued.” God rescued us, perhaps before we even knew that we needed to be saved. He continues to guard and protect us; even if we suffer loss in this life, we can count on him to provide us with the ultimate rescue. And because he has rescued us, he enlists us to rescue others for his kingdom.
 
Blessings,
 
Steve Ekeroth