- I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. -
Solomon starts this passage with what I think is a boast. Had he truly seen everything? No.
Had anyone seen more than him? Well, as king the chances of that are indeed small.
Think of all the conversations that Solomon has had in his life. Building dams, constructing temples, taxes, wars, alliances, paperwork, whatever health insurance was back then, etc.
What is his conclusion of all these activities he had a front row seat to? You guessed it. Vanity.
In this verse, he also provides a different description that the book is famous for. Not only is it vanity, but it’s also striving after wind.
There are two potential ways to translate this metaphor. Striving after the wind means precisely that.
The second meaning hits home; it can mean to feed on the wind. In essence, to ingest nothing.
What does this mean?
Any activity taken under the sun is meaningless and provides no sustenance for the soul. It’s stating no work will keep you from starving to death.
The next verse is a strange answer to this idea. Why is everything futile? Because mankind is crooked and knows not what he is missing.
Let’s start with the second half of that idea. For starters, tell me everything you don’t know.
Pretty tough right? The answer is infinite, as far as your lifetime is concerned. If that’s true, then you finding meaning on your own is at best random.
Now, let’s talk about that crooked part. This phrase refers to human nature.
Imagine with me you are working from home (thanks a lot, COVID), and you’re putting together a critical report for your boss. He needs it on his desk, bright and early.
You’re stressed because it’s difficult work and know doing well on this leads to your boss relying on you. That equals a faster promotion and a secure family.
All noble things, right?
In walks Daniel, your six-year-old son. He didn’t knock, just strolled right in. What’s that he’s got in his hand? Well, it’s a drawing of your hydrangeas.
Now, it’s actually pretty good. This isn’t a childlike Picasso you hang on your wall to cry over; this shows promise.
Your response? “Daniel, go away. I gotta work.”
Let’s unpack what just happened.
Did the parent do anything wrong? No, they needed to respond to their boss’s urgent need to secure their family’s future.
What did the child do? They created something from nothing and asked if that was valuable.
The parent, for all the right reasons, has discouraged their child from creation itself.
In short, their stunting the kid’s growth. A part of them may even desire to do so, bitter with their own failings.
What’s this mean? Even your pursuit of good things is tainted with you.
If you ask someone, “What’s more important to you? Work or your family?” I think we can all guess what most people will answer.
The scenario above shows how easy we can forget to act on that belief.
What do we do?
Every morning I pray a few rules that I need to remember. They focus me and guide me.
First and foremost: Act with Humility.
Know you are a fool and be careful of what you might with good intentions destroy.