Vanity and Vapidity

Vanity and Vapidity

I don’t know if you like words, but you should. Thinking carefully about words can help us see things from a fresh perspective.

So let’s start with “vanity.” Ecclesiastes begins “vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” The dictionary gives a 3rd option which fits this passage: “Worthlessness, pointlessness, or futility.” We are not talking here of “conceited” or “arrogant.” We are thinking about people who are regarded or are occupied with worthless or pointless things.

Abel was born to Eve, a second son, and she named him “worthless.” “Abel” is from Hebrew whose only given meaning in the lexicon is our definition above. It seems that Cain was Eve’s prize. I think Eve thought that Cain was the “seed” who would triumph over the serpent and restore order to the world. As it turns out, Cain only brought about greater disorder, murdering “worthless” Abel. But it is Abel we will see in heaven, not Cain. A quick point here: just because someone is named or regarded as worthless doesn’t mean that he/she is worthless.

Our next word is vapid: “lacking flavor, zest, interest, animation, or spirit: flat, dull.” This can apply to the can of Coke that has been sitting on the counter too long; or it can apply to the person with whom you are caught in conversation. It may be a person who can only think about petty concerns; or, it can apply to a person who has filled his/her mind with small-minded things, and their minds have shrunk to accommodate the quality of its content.

You may think I’m being rude and uncaring. But that’s not my point. My point is that human beings are to be neither vain in the worthless sense, or vapid in the shallow sense. Humans are the most interesting thing on this earth (and Jesus, since He walked this earth, is the most interesting Person who ever lived here). Humans are more interesting than any (other) animal; more interesting than inter-galactic theories, more interesting than microscopic mysteries. Humans are created in the the image of God, and are created to pursue ideals and to argue for what is better and what is best. Monkeys don’t do that and never will.

And because humans are worthwhile, and are found to be interesting, than they ought to be interesting. Certainly each one is interesting in their own way, but they should not allow themselves to be boring, with no flavor or scent or, interest. And that will only happen as we consider higher thoughts and bigger things than ourselves. It only happens when we consider the One who is bigger than us, and the One who made us to be worthwhile, and interesting.