Fall '07

Well, another semester is upon us. I have about two semesters left before graduation. I was going to take six classes this semester, but we found out that two of them were in conflict with each other. Being the peaceful and meek person that I am I could not rest until I had resolved this conflict, by dropping what looked like the more difficult of the two. So now I have to take that class next semester, or I'll have to postpone graduation for another semester until I can take it. Such dedication to removing conflict...

I am a little nervous about this semester, five classes are a lot, but we have arranged with one of our friends/neighbors to babysit the Tadpole during the day. That means that I will have time on campus to study and finish homework without having to find Sesame Street, or Arthur on TV to distract a three year old who thinks that doing homework must be awful fun- why else would dad spend so much time doing it?

Bri's semester starts this week, which means that she has to deal with school and work at the same time. Fortunately she is the most gifted employee at UVSC (soon to be UVU) so I know that she will handle the inconvenience effortlessly. Of course there is a little thing about getting her wisdom teeth out next week... and a lat minute trip to ID... but she'll still do fine.

The quick and the dead.

Johann Elias Ridinger- Memento Mori.

Memento Mori is simply a reminder that we are mortal. The symbols here all represent man's ultimate destination- the grave. The flowers in the vase are beautiful, but having been cut they are in the process of wilting, as the falling petals indicate. The candle on the other side has burned out. The hourglass in the background should be self-explanatory, as I should hope is the not so subtle skull. The book can represent the same idea in various ways- a deceased author, forgotten idea, or simply that the book is nearly finished.

The book of Ecclesiastes begins: Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity (ch. 1, vs. 2). Essentially we are given to understand that everything we do is, in fact, in vain. Nothing we do, touch, or create, can have any eternal impact.

Ironically neither of these ideas truly represents the intended message of either the painting or verse. Rather than pessimistic reminders of the futility of human endeavor and vitality, they serve to accentuate the necessity of a purposefully lived existence. Perhaps we are destined to die -dust in the wind- but that fact refers only to the temporal elements of our progression. We are meant to remember the precious commodity that is our life. Beyond that we are to recognize the overriding importance of maintaining a relationship with our God. Without His power we are just dust in the wind, and since we must all surely die all is vanity.

I feel like going on and on, and I might continue this string through other posts, but for now it is enough. What I would really like to see in the comments are specific thoughts with regard to what raises life from vanity to glory. And what makes life a vain attempt at prolonging the inevitable.