My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
"VANITY OF VANITIES, ALL IS VANITY" [Ecclesiates 1:2]
The author of Ecclesiastes was Solomon who wrote it in his old age. What does it really mean? All that is, everything in life that IS APART FROM THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH GOD CREATED US, "IS VANITY". Vanity is translated as conceitedness, a pretence. From the Orthodox Christian perspective we speak of vanity as a sin and the person engaged in it is someone seeking vainglory. However, vainglory is not the same as pride. The eight principal temptations of Evagrius were GLUTTONY, LUST, AVARICE, DEJECTION, ANGER, DESPONDENCY, VAINGLORY AND PRIDE.
Saint John Climacus writes, "From the point of view of form, vainglory is a change of nature, a perversion of character, a taking note of criticism. As for its quality, it is a waste of work and sweat, a betrayal of treasure, an offering of unbelief, a harbinger of pride, shipwreck in port…vainglory beams on every occupation (profession). What I mean is this. I fast, and turn vainglorious. I stop fasting so that I will draw no attention to myself, and I become vainglorious over my prudence. I dress well or badly, and am vainglorious in either case. I talk or I hold my peace, and each time I am defeated…".
One of the many weaknesses of people is the desire to be admired by others and therefore it leads to conceit or a high opinion of oneself. What fuels it is pride, arrogance and flattery. Saint John Chrysostom speaking on vanity described vanity as a passion that robs people of their souls’ serenity. Also, that vanity is a passion that causes people to feel like they are in a storm, trembling and afraid. People, he says, who are free from this slavery are like people in heaven, enjoying a liberty that is hard to attain.
Vanity can manifest itself in many various ways, including speech, silence, prayer, reading, and stillness. A person is one who speaks and does something only for the sake of human glory known as kenodoxia or empty-glory. A vainglorious person is a person who loves praise from others and can never have enough. "But a man will say, If they be vain and vanity, wherefore were they made? If they are God’s works, how are they vain? And great is the dispute concerning these things. But hearken, beloved; it is not the works of God which he calls vain; God forbid! The "Heaven" is not vain, the earth is not vain — God forbid!" — nor the sun, nor the moon and stars, nor our own body. No, all these are "very good" [ Genesis 1:31]. But what is vain? Let us hear the "Preacher" himself, what he says, "I planted me vineyards, I gat me men singers and "women" singers, I made me pools of water, I had great possession of herds and flocks, I gathered me also silver and gold, and I saw that these are vanity" [Ecclesiastes 2:4-8].
Pride and vanity belong to the most dangerous passions. The Optina gerondes (elders) wrote a great deal on the struggle to overcome these grave passions. Saint Lev sorrowfully called vanity "the poison which kills the fruits of even the most ripened virtues." This passion extends from youth to old age and to the very grave. It pursues not only the passionate and prosperous, but sometimes also the perfect, and therefore no little caution is required. Only the passionless Creator can uproot it. Saint Ambrose warned that nothing hinders progress in the spiritual life LIKE PRIDE AND VANITY, and the offspring of these passions are envy and hatred, anger and remembrance of wrong: "All of us suffer more often than not, more or less, from vanity and pride. And nothing hinders progress in the spiritual life like these passions. Saint Paul exhorts us, "Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another [Galatians 5:26].
A vain person, if he is handsome, presents himself like an actor or a star and glories in his good looks. Everything is about appearance, expensive and fancy clothing, hair style and voice. However, the vain person is conflicted and lacks confidence in himself. He or she feels inwardly inept, without any real talent, unhappy with their career, envious of others, miserable and as failures. They are to be pitied because, here they are, having almost everything that one may want in life and yet, they are filled with sadness and unhappiness. Even their relationships with others are superficial and lack depth or even honesty. Outwardly they put on a happy face for all to see but in reality, they feel as failures. Saint Ambrose used to say: "Three little rings are hooked to each other: hatred to anger, and anger to pride." Vainglory doesn’t give a person any peace, inciting him to jealousy and envy, which makes him upset, raising in his soul a storm of thoughts."
Pride and vanity are like a powerful hurricane that strengths over the warm waters of the ocean. Bothe pride and vanity are strengthened by jealousy, by anger, by envy, by avarice, thoughts of grandeur, flattery, self-admiration, conceit and haughtiness. "Our self-esteem is the root of all evil. It is the beginning of all passions; it is the cause of all our misfortunes and suffering–sometimes in the present, but sometimes as a consequence of previous mistakes… The battle-axe for eradicating the roots of self-esteem is faith, humility, obedience and the cutting off of all one’s desires and opinions."
Vanity makes herself known even in the church. It is almost common among the faithful to want to be seen by their fellow members as successful and well-dressed. However, there are those who go overboard by flaunting their outfits and garments, jewelry, etc. Someone mentioned to me sometime ago that a wealthy woman came to church on Sunday with an expensive fur coat and all were envious of her. Well, some of the other women in the parish were offended and soon after they too came to church wearing a fur coat. However, men can be just as vain as women and in some cases even more. Vanity does apply only to clothing but to attitude, to behavior, to one’s egotistical conduct and competitiveness. Hierarchs and priests can also succumb to the sin of vanity i.e., expensive vestments, crosses, melodic voices, and the way they conduct the divine services of the Church. No one is immune to the passions of pride and vanity.
The sincere Christian knowing his/her spiritual weaknesses should seek the acquisition of the Holy Spirit and the virtue of humility. "God resists the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." Sain Nikon cautioned: "We should not be proud of our health, or beauty, or any other of God’s gifts…Everything earthly is liable to change: both beauty and health. We should thank the Lord, thank Him with humility, acknowledge our unworthiness, and not get conceited about something."
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 