all is vanity

To catch a firefly one must figure out where the heck it’s at. It’s hard to tell when it’s in its non-glowing state. I run after it frantically, then earnestly reach out for it – fingers outstretched to the sky - and I jump for it when my arms can’t extend any farther. Something about them enraptures me.

I have a goal. I need to catch it. I want to feel it crawling on my hand. Finally, the hard work pays off. At last sweet success! I must keep it close. I cup my hands around it and part them just enough so that I can see go: Dark. Light. Dark. Light. All this mystery between my fingers.

It doesn’t end there, of course. I must observe this wonder without fear that it will escape from me. A clear bell jar does the trick. The lid has purposeful holes punched through the top; these holes are large enough for air to enter the jar and small enough that my luminescent prize has no hope of escape.

Then I sit back and I lie down. The jar is on my nightstand, my head is on my pillow and my body is turned on its side. I am satisfied and I feel this moment, now, is the reward for my hard work and diligence. Oh, it is magic. It goes in a repetitious pattern. Dark, then glorious light, then dark again.

This continues for a long while. The treasure that once captured my attention has now become commonplace, merely part of the scenery in my room. The chase after this insect has tired me out. I stop all my thinking. Sleep. In the morning my firefly that I sought after with such ambition lies dead, no fire at all.

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.

Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

about Jesus

some lyrics from page france's song "chariot".
so beautiful.

swing
come and carry us
come and marry us
to the blushing circus king
now he's one of us
plays the tambourine
breaks the bread for us
and sings
will you wait for us?
will you stay for us?
well your grace is everything
you're a wrecking ball
with a heart of gold
we will wait for it to swing
like a chariot
swing it low for us
come and carry us away