“Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities. All is vanity.”
The beginning of my favorite book of the Bible is depressing, to say the least.
“Everything is meaningless,” it says.
But the opening is also one of the most relatable openings in the ancient text.
How often do we feel like our life is meaningless?
I think we all have our seasons. We have our seasons of depression, our seasons of doubt and our seasons of questioning. We all want to know what our “why” is, and often times, that why changes.
We work hard, but for what? For who?
Ourselves? That seems selfish.
Our family? What if we have none.
Fame? That’s fleeting.
I’ve always wanted to memorize an entire book of the Bible, so I’m picking this one. Ecclesiastes. My favorite book, and one that i come to time and time again in my seasons of doubt and lack of purpose. The Preacher in the text asks a lot of the same questions I have myself, and rarely has answers, much like myself. It seems like a good fit.
Maybe in the meaninglessness, I will find meaning in memorizing these words and reflecting on them, in small doses at a time.
-Cliff
Cliff’s Note: Meaning can be found, even in meaninglessness.