Useless Beauty

Robert K. Johnston, Useless Beauty: Ecclesiastes through the Lens of Contemporary Film (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 2004).

Johnston's book is titled after the Elvis Costello song (and album) "All This Useless Beauty." The aim of the book is to engage a dialogue between Ecclesiastes and contemporary films that also portray the "hard, paradoxical reality of life."
The films reviewed include:
Ikiru
Crimes and Misdemeanors
American Beauty
Six Feet Under (HBO television programme)
Magnolia
Punch Drunk Love
Run Lola Run
The Princess and the Warrior
Monster's Ball
Signs
Election
About Schmidt

Spring of Life

We sang this song in chapel last Friday. It has some themes in common with Ecclesiastes:
- searching and finding (Eccl 1:13; 2:3; 7:25 ('searching'); 'finding' 12 times, e.g. Eccl 3:12 no one can find out the work of God)
- the world doesn't satisfy (Eccl 5:10 [heb 9], whoever loves wealth is never satisfied; Eccl 1:7-8, sea, words, eyes, ears never satisfied).
- emptiness ... this relates to the key word 'vanity' (hebel).

In this life we will find, We will be searching
In this life we will find, The world won’t satisfy
In this life we will find
That we will be empty, Without You

Jesus You’re the well that won’t run dry
Jesus You’re the drink that satisfies
Living water, Spring of life
Jesus You’re the well that won’t run dry

In this life we will find, We will be yearning
In this life we will find, The world won’t satisfy
In this life we will find
That we will be hopeless, Without You

We will thirst no more thirst no more
We will drink from you drink from you
We will search no more search no more
When we drink from you drink from you

Written By: Kristian Stanfill
Copyright: © 2008 worshiptogether.com songs / sixsteps Music

Ol' Man River

Ecclesiastes 1:3-11 has often been interpreted as representing the meaningless cycles of nature, which is taken as an analogy for the meaningless repetitions in human life. Stuart Weeks (SBL conf, 2008), however, has shown that the emphasis is not on cycles, but on the continuous activity of nature (without reference to cycles). The streams, for example, continue flowing to the sea with no discernible change to the sea (Eccl 1:7). Likewise, speaking, seeing, and hearing continue with no end in sight. Human activity just doesn't make much of a difference to the world. Generations continue to come and go (1:4), the sun continues to shine (1:5), the wind continues to blow (1:6), and yes, Ol' Man River, he just keeps on rolling along (1:7).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh9WayN7R-s


"He keeps on rollin' along, he keeps on rollin' along" Eccl 1:7.
"An' dem dat plants 'emis soon forgotten" Eccl 1:11.
"You an' me, we sweat an' strain" Eccl 1:3.

Paul Robeson - Ol' man river Lyrics Album: Ol Man River (1926-1938) Ol' man river,Dat ol' man riverHe mus'know sumpin'But don't say nuthin',He jes'keeps rollin'He keeps on rollin' along.He don' plant taters/tators,He don't plant cotton,An' dem dat plants'emis soon forgotten,But ol'man river,He jes keeps rollin'along.You an'me, we sweat an' strain,Body all achin' an' racket wid pain,Tote dat barge!Lif' dat bale!Git a little drunkAn' you land in jail.Ah gits wearyAn' sick of tryin'Ah'm tired of livin'An' skeered of dyin',But ol' man river,He jes'keeps rolling' along.[Colored folks work on de Mississippi,Colored folks work while de white folks play,Pullin' dose boats from de dawn to sunset,Gittin' no rest till de judgement day.or musical part]Don't look upAn' don't look down,You don' dast makeDe white boss frown.Bend your kneesAn'bow your head,An' pull date ropeUntil you' dead.)Let me go 'way from the Mississippi,Let me go 'way from de white man boss;Show me dat stream called de river Jordan,Dat's de ol' stream dat I long to cross.O' man river,Dat ol' man river,He mus'know sumpin'But don't say nuthin'He jes' keeps rollin'He keeps on rollin' along.Long ol' river forever keeps rollin' on...He don' plant tater,He don' plant cotton,An' dem dat plants 'emIs soon forgotten,but ol' man river,He jes' keeps rollin' along.Long ol' river keeps hearing dat song.You an' me, we sweat an' strain,Body all achin an' racked wid pain.Tote dat barge!Lif' dat bale!Git a little drunkAn' you land in jail.Ah, gits wearyAn' sick of tryin'Ah'm tired of livin'An' skeered of dyin',But ol' man river,He jes'keeps rollin' along!