“Poets have, indeed, often communicated in their own mode of expression truths identical with the theologians’ truths; but just because of the difference in the modes of expression, we often fail to see the identity of the statements.”~Dorothy Sayers, The Mind of the Maker

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.

Like father, like son. David wrote psalms; his son, Solomon recorded proverbs and the love poem of the Songs of Songs, and Ecclesiastes, an extended meditation on the futility of a life lived without meaning, without God. (Or maybe someone else just wrote Ecclesiastes and put the words into Solomon’s mouth. Scholars are unsure.)

This particular passage from Ecclesiastes talks about the seasons of our lives: the seemingly banal idea, that we are finite beings caught in Time and only able to live as creatures within time, turns out to be quite profound when you think about it. For we live in seasons and times, and yet we have this desire to transcend time and apprehend eternity. Where does this longing for eternity come from? Why do so many writers play with the ideas of time travel and speeding up and slowing down time? Why, if we are creatures of time, does time seem so limiting and foreign to us? Why did Solomon go on to write in verse eleven of this same chapter: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end?”

‘Tis a puzzlement, and meant in some sense for poetry rather than prose.

In traditional Judaic practice, Ecclesiastes is read on Sukkot as a reminder to not get too caught up in the festivities of the holiday and the cares of this life.

“Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There is a Season)” is a folk version of Solomon’s poem put to music by folk singer Pete Seeger with some of the phrases rearranged. Seeger also added the words “turn, turn, turn” and at the end “a time for peace; I swear it’s not too late.” The Byrds then had a number one hit with the song in 1965, riding on the crest of anti-war sentiment.

Judy Collins and Johnny Cash sing the same song:

If you’re looking for something a little more classical, you could try this piece: Meditations on Ecclesiastes: XI. Con brio (…a time of hate and of war…)
by The Philharmonia Orchestra, Hugh Bean, David Jones, David Amos.