Is this anything? (3/7)

This post is day 3 in a series of seven straight days of blogging

During my freshman year of college me and a friend got in the habit of watching some late night talk shows. Basically we just cared about the monologues and maybe some of the small Leno segments like "Headlines" or "Jay-walking". However, occasionally we would flip over to CBS and catch a little bit of one of Letterman's pointless games. Now, I normally find Letterman about as funny as lamp post, but from time to time I would catch myself laughing at some of his ridiculous games.

To give you an example, one of his more frequent games was entitled "Will it float?" and involved Dave and Paul placing bets on whether or not an item would... well... float. They tried everything from baseball bats, to kitchen sinks, to reclining sofas just to see how good they were at judging buoyancy.

My favorite Letterman game, however, was "Is this anything?" Basically a curtain would open and behind it would be some sort random thing and then they would have to decide if it was, in fact, anything. The game is completely subjective and pointless... but ironically that is the point.

I feel as though in some ways I should market this game in Honduras (Is this anything? Travel edition. Ahora en espanol!!). All I have to do is walk a few blocks from my house and I could encounter a number of random things:

- a cow stuck in power lines
- a man drinking a mysterious orange liquid from a plastic sandwich bag
- a girl twirling chains with fire on the end
- a man wearing a shirt that says "Bomb Canada"

I feel like I often see something, do a double-take and then have to decide if that random thing was, in fact, anything. It's seriously fun. You should try it some time.


Sometimes when I am reading the Bible I come across a passage that sticks with me for a long time. I'm not talking about something inspirational or uplifting. I'm talking about something that sends chills down my spine just to read it and causes me to sit there in silent confusion just trying to grasp the significance of it.

One of those passages has been camping out in my head for the last several years, and from time to time it resurfaces. The verse comes from John 15 where Jesus is talking about the vine and the branches. The opening verses talk about the branches of this vine being connected to God and consequently bearing fruit. It sounds nice enough, but then comes verse 5:

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING John 15:5 (my emphasis added)

There it is, the line that I just cannot get over. "Apart from me you can do nothing".... nothing.... NOTHING!!! But wait! That does not make any sense. I know very well that I have done lots of things apart from God. I mean, there are entire days (sadly) where I do things and God hardly even crosses my mind. Maybe not everything, but it actually seems like I can do a great deal without God.

And that's why a passage like John 15:5 is so scary. It's truth, but it's not my experience. What does that mean? The only possibility that I am left with is that all of those things I do apart from God: my achievements, my successes, my triumphs.... are... nothing. Maybe to the world they look like something great, but to God all of those things that originate with ourselves are nothing. Wealth, money, security, fame and power we gain of our own accord is meaningless.

It's a hard truth when I look at leading a life of significance. I can be the best teacher in the world, but if I am doing it in my own strength, it is not worth a thing. However, the other side is that everything that I do in Christ is SOMETHING. It does not matter how much I mess it up or how insufficient I am, God can take my weakness and turning it into something beautiful.

So maybe Letterman's game is not so pointless after all. Maybe every once in a while it is a good idea to sit back, look at our lives and accomplishments and really question:

What am I really accomplishing with my life?

Did I do this out of my own strength or out of God's?

Is this anything?