Meaning(less)

It doesn’t take a genius to see that this world is a very empty, broken place. Evil penetrates every aspect of humanity, from the violent wars fought overseas to the abusive father at home. If you’re a realist like me, you can’t help but feel hurt by such an environment. Thus, the often-overlooked book of Ecclesiastes is something we all should be able to relate to, with its cry of “meaningless!” scattered consistently throughout the book. If you read through the book, you’ll begin to grow weary with all of the “meaninglessness,” becoming depressed by the apparent worthlessness of this earth. Yet we come to the final chapter of Ecclesiastes, worn out and brought down, and find our very meaning among the meaninglessness of these final pages. Let’s take a look:

Neo-Monasticism: A Good Thing?

One of the most popular up-and-coming trends among Christians today is a new breed of contemplative life, referred to as neo-monasticism. But how Biblical is neo-monasticism? Is it truly practical for Christian living? What lessons can be learned from it?

Let’s take a look at neo-monasticism.

A Psalm

Putrid, my heart
Reeks of petulance,
Breathes the noxious air.

My enemy smiles;
A rotten grin,
Revealing carious teeth.

My flesh, gangrene,
Flooded by the Light;
Mind filled with indignation.

I retreat to my Fortress,
Where I will not be shaken;
Not with You at my right hand.

In the midst of war,
I take refuge in my King;
My leprous heart is healed.

A Lenten Sonnet

The warmth of spring is born of winter’s womb
While bitter chill and icy air retreat;
As, resurrected, Christ has left His tomb,
Like death, the winter comes to its defeat.

The newness of the air dispels the cold,
And sun returns from exile to the sky;
The buds and blossoms, elegant and bold,
Perpetuate the infant season’s cry.

Yet still, he, nurtured by the frequent rain
Does exhale Life and fresh vitality;
For, conquer all injustice, did he but fain,
And bring the earth a new reality.

Thus creatures great and small now join to sing
In praises of the great and risen King!