“Turn Turn Turn”

         

  The 1960’s brought seasons of unbelievable shock and sadness. I recall coming home from elementary school to witness the solemn scene of my dear mother sobbing as she shared with me that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated (Nov. 22, 1963). It was so tragic that life appeared to stand still as the world mourned. Five years later the tragedy repeated itself. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and there was immense sorrow (April 4, 1968). Two short months later the devastating news of the shooting and consequent death of Robert F. Kennedy occurred (June 8, 1968). Throughout these years, the Vietnam War contributed to the ongoing groans of the times, exacting a terrible human loss of nearly three million people. Seasons of war, dying, weeping, mourning. Do these times of the past sound a bit familiar to our times today?
God tells us that to every thing there is a season, a time to every purpose under heaven. Reflecting upon the 1960s, music made an impact on my daily survival as a teenager. In 1965 I remember the hit song “Turn Turn Turn”. It expressed the reality of a changing, or turning, world. The lyrics were taken almost verbatim from the Book of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. At that time I didn’t even know about Ecclesiastes or even the Bible, but this song, performed by The Byrds, was engraved on my mind for years! Pete Seeger, who was a folk song writer, took these 8 verses from scripture, created the melody, and titled it “Turn Turn Turn”. Seeger often wrote songs in defence of the poor, the oppressed and the exploited.
Let’s take a look at these words in Ecclesiastes written by King Solomon and inspired by God:

To every thing there is a season,
A time to every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, A time to die;
A time to plant, A time to pluck 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 cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, 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 of war, And a time of peace.

In which season are you living? To which purpose under heaven are you living? Do you know what God has created you to do?
As a believer in Jesus Christ, you have been given a spiritual gift to bring glory to God. It is important to know your spiritual gift. Please consider how God has created you for His purpose under heaven and then use your spiritual gift to bring praise and honour and glory to God today and every day He gives you breath.