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"Meaningless! Meaningless!"
"Vanity of vanities!"
"Futility of futilities!"
"Vapor of vapors!"
Depending on which translation of the Bible you read, one of these phrases will likely confront you promptly in the book of Ecclesiastes. Some form of the Hebrew word hevel (לֶבֶה) shows up dozens of times in this book. Elsewhere in Scripture it is commonly used to describe idols. In this book we get not only hevel but "hevel havalim" – "vapor of vapors!"
If I say a king is "King of Kings," it means of all kings this one is the greatest King.
If I say a song is "Song of Songs," it means of all songs this one is the greatest song.
If I say a place is the "Holy of Holies," it means of all holy places this is the most holy.
If I say something meaningless is the "vanity of vanities" or "vapor of vapors" it means of all the useless, futile, meaningless, vapid things, this one is the most so.
When I step outside on a chilly morning and can see my breath, it has no form. It is not something I can take hold of and use for any purpose. It would disappear almost immediately and be forgotten.
But the author of Ecclesiastes says everything is like this. Is he really saying everything is meaningless? Or is he saying that everything under the sun is vaporous and elusive?
As you read on in Ecclesiastes it becomes more clear even as it might seem to be getting more muddled. you encounter all kinds of wise sayings that are a nice mix of profound, moving, and quite possibly depressing.
We work and work, but to what end?
We learn and learn, but the more we know, the less happy we are.
We indulge in every pleasure, and we still aren't satisfied.
If our purpose in life is to satisfy ourselves and fulfill our own desires, then it is all vapor.
Our satisfaction will be fleeting.
When our lives are directed toward something beyond our own satisfaction, however, we can discover a deeper sense of purpose.
A nursing home director named Bill Thomas once had an idea to bring live plants into the residents' rooms. After working through some regulatory red tape, they were eventually able to introduce animals: cats, dogs, rabbits, hens, and a parakeet for every resident. They put in a garden and brought in after-school programs for kids of the staff to enjoy.
As residents gained things to care for and people with whom to interact, their moods improved and they became healthier overall.
Residents who were believed to be unable to speak began speaking.
Individuals who were withdrawn and unable to walk would come out of their rooms and ask if they could take a dog for a walk.
What they found was that in this facility where about half of the residents were physically disabled and four out of every five had Alzheimer's disease or some other form of cognitive impairment, the need for prescriptions and the rate of death was significantly impacted by these improvements.
Thomas said, "I believe that the difference in death rates can be traced to the fundamental human need for a reason to live." The details of this story can be found in the book Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, pp. 141-158.
How many of us, whether we are in a nursing home or not, are just trying to stay busy, comfortable, and entertained while we await the inevitable? Are we living just for ourselves, or are
we truly invested in others? Is life merely a game we are playing, and we are just trying to have fun and stay in the game as long as possible? Are we just a vapor, a mist that appears for a little while?
In the beginning God put the water and water vapors in their proper place (Genesis 1:6-10). But in our rebellion, we have become subject to disorder and restlessness and death. The life separated from God is as fleeting as vapor.
But the one who is the Living Water appeared. He showed us purposes beyond the fleeting moments. He showed us we can tap into a spring that never fails. We can draw from a well that will never run dry. He gives us a river that wells up inside of us and overflows and redefines the landscape wherever we go. All these streams lead back to God and his purposes.
The point is that we can gain the whole world and still forfeit our soul. Or we can embrace the one who is the resurrection and the life. The truly worthwhile pursuit is to make Christ our Lord, and seek his purposes in life. Everything else is vanity.