Comments on: All Is Vanity

By: Torrey

Torrey — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 14:34:38 +0000

LaShawn, I often ask myself the same things you were discussing. However, my approach is a little diffferent. I grew up in a Christian home, and consider myself a Christian. But I have always had that questioning side, and I find myself also wondering “What if this Christianity stuff is all a bunch of crap? I mean, all these brillliant scientists tell me my beliefs are foolish and that we crawled out of the sludge 10 billion years ago and that there is no God, nor eternity. We die and its ‘lights out’ and thats all. Maybe man did make up Christianity so that he would have some hope as he watched his loved ones close their eyes in death! And you remember growing up hearing about how odd some of those other faiths, such as hinduism are? Christianity has got some pretty far out ideas as well! The only reason you believe in Christianity is because you had those ideas drilled into your head from day one, and now, you cannot escape it. Had you been born in India, you would feel as strongly that Hinduism is right and that all of those Christians are a real odd bunch!”
Then there is the other part of me…when I hear about someone that I have known ALL of my life, that I went to school with, that I went out drinkin with, that I smoked “that stuff” with in high school and college…and I hear that they were killed in a car wreck and I think “vanity of vanities….all is vanity. Where are they now? Right now, they KNOW what is truth! They have the answers. I wish that I could ask them a few questions now!
I know….those who read this will probably find me a little “skitzo”, but I find myself going back and forth between the 2 ideas CONSTANTLY! And I get really tired of it! I wish that I could KNOW, and not always play the “doubting thomas”.

By: Dory

Dory — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 07:42:32 +0000

La Shawn, The words you quote from Ecclesiastes 1 ought not discourage you. They ought to encourage you. This book differentiates between those things done for worldy goals–under the sun–and those things done with eternal goals in mind–under heaven. It is things done under the sun that this book tells us are vain. Not so with things done under heaven. Reread the book with this in mind and you will see what I mean. And your quote from the last chapter is the same. It tells us that many words will be written, but in the end they will be judged by God’s standards, not the world’s.

When you write here and help another child of God conform his or her thoughts to those of Scripture you labor–as Luther did–under heaven, not under the sun. You may not start another Reformation, but nothing done under heaven is vain.

By: Chris Roberts

Chris Roberts — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 02:41:10 +0000

LB-
Your writing is never in vain. It is inspirational to all of us who read.

I guess all the brilliant minds have been introspective lately. Myself included. Max Lucado suggested taking some time all to yourself and put it all down on paper.

My introspection has me wondering if I’m just running around in circles, or really accomplishing God’s will.

Keep up the great work.

By: Jim Price

Jim Price — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 07:47:49 +0000

LaShawn, take heart:

Phillipians 1:6
I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

You wrote exactly what I needed to hear tonight. I don’t beleive in chance when it comes to hearing God’s Word. You remain humble- that is evidenced by the way you search your heart for it’s motives in what you do.

Like an old friend used to say, “I think you’re exactly where you ought to be”.

By: Allan

Allan — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 05:08:21 +0000

WOW! Is there something in the air or the water? Minutes ago I just posted in another blog thread about Ecclesiastes 1 and vanity. Then I come here (as always) and you post about the very same thing.

I’m gonna google “vanity” and see if anyone is posting about it.

By: mj

mj — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 03:50:01 +0000

LaShawn, you are not writing in vain or out of vanity. Your writing affects all of us, and we appreciate it.

By: Jeff H

Jeff H — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 03:43:49 +0000

Thanks for sounding the clarion call to see what is worth seeing, to hear what is worth hearing, to do what is worth doing. God is all, and all is God’s.

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 01:53:42 +0000

La Shawn, that was powerful.

This ties in with the overall theme of Revelations Ch 3 and in particular with verses 13-17; being hot, cold or lukewarm in God’s sight.

Martin Luther, and others who made a stand on Biblical principles left a positive lasting rippling effect on others long after they are dead and gone.

As for cold, which applies to those who serve mammom. Yes, they too, like tyrants and proactive evildoers, leave a legacy — a legacy of infamy.

Those who equivocate are discarded by history much as God spews them from His mouth. Interesting that for an example, Revelations refers to the “socially/materially” rich but morally bankrupt. The idea that a person vacillates between two polar positions (falls for anything that sounds pleasing), yet embraces neither is nauseous to Christ.

By: Ron Wright

Ron Wright — Mon, 24 Jan 2005 22:35:00 +0000

Cheer up folks we are participating in a major transformation as great as the age of Martin Luther and the moveable type. Luther was successful in his day of challenging the Pope and the Catholic Church for control of information and knowledge. No longer did the people have to rely on the clerics for interpretation of the bible and the science of the day. (Read Hewitt’s new book, Blog.)

Power to the people!

Blessed be for the Net and the Blogosphere a new emerging collective human consciousness of thought. A vast neuro net of dendritic/snyapses of intelligent cells or nodes interconnecting at an exponential rate. This net has unimaginable power for distriubutive parallel computer processing to bring online on questions of the day.

The Net/Blogos can freely transcend political boundaries and filtering of editorial/conglomerate boardrooms. The medium is essentially free and and info can flow freely based on it’s intrinsic value. Unlike the MSM which has to pander for readers/viewers to pay the overhead. This by definition sensationalizes the news. Consequently the out of perspective and proportion we see to day.

By: basil's blog

basil's blog — Mon, 24 Jan 2005 17:11:00 +0000

Monday Lunch Special: Ecclesiastes and Spongebob
For your mid-day dining pleasure, we offer you to choose from one of these specialties: Eyes On The Ball News reports that Liberals For Love protested the President. La Shawn Barber has a column that is a must-read. Well, it

By: Feeble Knees

Feeble Knees — Mon, 24 Jan 2005 16:49:20 +0000

LaShawn, I’ve been feeling the same way lately and was stuck in Ecclesiastes last week. Vanity and vexation! I posted on this last week. Lately I’m all over Ecclesiastes and Proverbs, looking for the wisdom that seems to be so dearly lacking in our current day and age…

By: SmartChristian Blog

SmartChristian Blog — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

All is Vanity for La Shawn. I know what she’s talking about. [...]