What do King Solomon, the Apostle Paul and Johnny Cash have in common? The answer is that they all lamented the vanity of life. Meaning, they all came to the same conclusion that most of what they had accumulated and accomplished in this life was worthless and unsatisfying. According to Solomon, life in this world is like chasing after the wind and for Paul it is like a pile of refuse. For Cash, it is an empire of dirt.
Solomon, the famous king over Israel, recounted his reflections on the nature of things in his journal called Ecclesiastes, and upon review came to the conclusion that the pursuit of worldly power, pleasure and possession is a wasted pursuit. He, for one, had it all. He had more influence than anyone during his time, he had more amusement to keep him occupied than he could handle, and he had more successes than any king or kingdom before or after him. And yet, Solomon called it all vanity.
Likewise, the Apostle Paul, who once was named Saul after the first king of Israel, had a resume unmatched by his peers, which he recounted in his letter to the Philippians. He was a faithful Hebrew, a respected enforcer, and a well known leader. He had the the reputation and respect that any man during his day would envy. And still, Paul called it all rubbish.
Johnny Cash lived the American illusion. He capitalized on his opportunities and promoted himself to the upper echelon of musical fame. With an unusual combination of authenticity and mystique, he captured the attention and affection of legions of fans, and for a time he lived on top of the world. But finally, he called it all dirt.
Vanity. Rubbish. Dirt. These words are honest and true observations about the nature of things in this world. Generations come and generations go, but only a few seem to peek behind the curtain. Most would rather ignore the warning signs and presume that the show on stage is for real. They would rather suspend their disbelief in life and trust that things will just work out.
However, once in a while, someone is curious and smart enough to peek behind the curtain to find out if it is just smoke and mirrors. And, they find out that it is. There is something behind that curtain, and it is behind there for a reason. The world shrouds the truth because it does not sell very well. The truth is that there is a pile of dirt and it does not smell so nice. And, that is why Solomon, Paul and even Johnny tried to pull the curtain down. Not really so we could see what is behind it but so that we could stop wondering.
You see, something profound happens when you stop wondering if the things of this world are lasting and fulfilling. It is the feeling of liberation not really from the things of this world but from the hope in the things of this world. After all, there might be some fun to be had playing in the pile of dirt, but I doubt anyone is going to want to want to live in it.
The reality is that we become free when we understand what life in this world cannot provide us. When we understand that the things of this world cannot satisfy, then we are finally released to look elsewhere. And, that’s the point Jesus came into the world to make. He said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
And, what is the truth that sets us free? It is as the Scriptures say, “Do not love the world or the things in the world…for all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-17).”
So, thanks to Solomon, Paul and Johnny, for pulling down the curtain.
Mother Teresa once famously said that God did not call her to be successful but to be faithful, and even though I’ve heard many people repeat that statement over the years, I’m not sure just how many people really believe it. Clearly, she believed it. But, what about the rest of us? As a pastor, I live in a world of church growth fanatics who seem to endlessly strategize and fixate upon how to become successful in building a church ministry.
