This was an excellent piece and I identified tremendously with it. I too get lost pondering the billions of people that get lost in history and struggle with wanting to "matter" through art or literature or whatever other means. And not making that happen seems to be such a waste.
And I too pour over the lives of those in the old testament. We know all these men and women now, but I don't think they had posterity in mind, certainly not down through the centuries to where we are now. They wanted to be successful in their time, but like us they had no idea what God's plan entailed, and they had no idea what echoes through eternity they would make.
Of late I have been comforted by Paul's advice to the Thessalonians, make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. Your ambition should be anonymity. Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Fantastic article! Really eye-opening. I love the title. It drew me in. I especially like the emphasis on being known by God, and that is what really matters.
Very well stated. I appreciate your words here. I was in college in the 80s when many charismatic ministries experienced the loss of their leaders. In my disappointment, I wrote a few poems that I don't intend to publish, but it scares me to think about having success in ministry without accountability. You said much more than this, but this is the part that bears witness to my experiences. I hope that by remaining in community with the Lord and strong Christians who put him first, I will continue to be awed by who God is and what He has created, both of which will always surpass anything I can create or imagine. Thanks for sharing.
This was an excellent piece and I identified tremendously with it. I too get lost pondering the billions of people that get lost in history and struggle with wanting to "matter" through art or literature or whatever other means. And not making that happen seems to be such a waste.
And I too pour over the lives of those in the old testament. We know all these men and women now, but I don't think they had posterity in mind, certainly not down through the centuries to where we are now. They wanted to be successful in their time, but like us they had no idea what God's plan entailed, and they had no idea what echoes through eternity they would make.
Of late I have been comforted by Paul's advice to the Thessalonians, make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. Your ambition should be anonymity. Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself.
While I did NOT like the piece's title, the writing itself quite awesomely burst that titular bubble. Deep and true words.
this entire essay 🔥🩷
In a world of ChatGPT writing and kitsch, buzzwordy ideology, I can always count on a Yi Ning Chiu essay to be a breath of fresh air.
Such a generous comment. Thanks for reading.
I enjoyed this, especially the insights at the end 💜
I unplugged from all social media recently. Began by setting a timer and over a couple of years lessened my interest and finally deleted all the apps.
Your article is beautiful.
Fantastic article! Really eye-opening. I love the title. It drew me in. I especially like the emphasis on being known by God, and that is what really matters.
Very well stated. I appreciate your words here. I was in college in the 80s when many charismatic ministries experienced the loss of their leaders. In my disappointment, I wrote a few poems that I don't intend to publish, but it scares me to think about having success in ministry without accountability. You said much more than this, but this is the part that bears witness to my experiences. I hope that by remaining in community with the Lord and strong Christians who put him first, I will continue to be awed by who God is and what He has created, both of which will always surpass anything I can create or imagine. Thanks for sharing.
Such a good article. Wow. Thank you for provoking me with your words.