"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "All is vanity." And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs. 

    - Ecclesiastes 12:8,9

All is vanity, says the Preacher, still his wisdom pushed him on in the education of his people.

It is a simple message. Don't give up.

Admit that the pattern of existence is colored with banalities. Ok. Say that youth and beauty are fleeting. Alright. We know that money is vanity, too, because it has a tendancy to get lost or kidnapped. Maybe it decides to transform itself into a 60 foot golden calf— but you can't take it with you and it sure won't follow you to the grave. IRiS will show up and marry it before it does that.

So, OK. All is vanity and the flushing-est vexation of the spirit. But don't give up.

Don't give up because you've got God. Your God is bigger than all of that fly by night, super shiny plastic imagination of a perfect normal world we've spent 6,000 years cooking up.

Depend on that. Dream about that. And don't give up.

(2003, Katy\\Records Worship)



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