April 5, 2011

Fear not.

“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future.” Fulton Oursler


"Cowards die many times before their deaths,
The valiant never taste of death but once."
Julius Caesar (II, ii, 32-37)


"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
Psalm 118:6 

Meaningless Life


In the book of Ecclesiastes, the "Teacher" declares over and over again that everything is meaningless. Life, toil, wisdom, foolishness, tears, and laughter are all meaningless. I always found the entire book rather confusing, but the last two verses at least are clear enough:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NIV)

 13 Now all has been heard;
       here is the conclusion of the matter:
       Fear God and keep his commandments,
       for this is the whole duty of man.
 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
       including every hidden thing,
       whether it is good or evil.

I think it serves as a sort of key to the rest of the book, but I was still confused until today when I had a bit of an "ah ha!" moment, reading Ecc. 2:11:

 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
    and what I had toiled to achieve,
    everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
    nothing was gained under the sun.

Do Not Put Me In A Box