“Meaningless! Meaningless!”

    says the Teacher.

“Utterly meaningless!

    Everything is meaningless.”

-Ecclesiastes 1:2

For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

-Colossians 2:9-10

Hollow is the sound that something empty makes. The official definition of hollow is this: having an empty space or cavity inside instead of being solid. In other words it’s a void. Here is where this word gets interesting, hollowness applies to different aspects of what we see, feel and experience. 

Something can be physically hollow. In many ways this can be beneficial. Hollow structures can provide strength with minimal weight. The wings of a bird are hollow allowing them to take to the air. A hollow space also has value when it comes to insulation. When it comes to instruments, a hollow area creates a warmer tone, increases natural volume and makes the instrument lighter to hold. 

However, hollowness doesn’t just apply to physical things. There can be a hollowness in a person’s emotions. Unlike with the physical features displayed in hollow things, emotional hollowness holds no positive attributes. Hollowness in an emotional sense involves an inner state of detachment that causes numbness, depression, apathy and a distinct and evident psychological void. It can be caused by numerous reasons including traumatic events, abandonment issues, deep hurts or neglect, many times stemming from childhood events. Emotional hollowness is the response of our brain shielding us from our feelings running wild and causing us to fall into an overwhelmed state. But this protective mechanism comes at a high cost. Without the ability to properly process emotions, a hollow or empty approach to life takes the place of healthy relationships, attitudes and outlook. 

The most dangerous condition of hollowness we can experience in our life is spiritual hollowness. What makes it so serious is that people can go through life unaware of the void that is within them. We live in a prosperous nation and with that comes the luxury of distraction. The danger comes when the hollowness emanating from our very soul is muted to a large degree with the pleasures, entertainment, recreation and preoccupation with ourselves. 

The knock that exposes our spiritual hollowness comes by way of the Holy Spirit’s conviction. Once the emptiness of our lives begins to become unmistakable, the things of the world really do become meaningless. As the fullness of Christ in our life begins to take hold and grow within us, we notice the hollowness in the conversations around us. It is then that we really begin to see that many people talk about a lot of things without actually saying much. 

When our thoughts revolve around the Lord and our conversations lead to the beauty and truth of Christ, others are naturally drawn in. Not all will agree, some may even be offended, but there is an undeniable substance invading the void of this world. It is in these times we come to the conclusion that if our life, if our day and our mindset does not involve Christ, the hollowness echoing through the world can never and will never fill it. 

As born again believers we are called to be salt and light bringing the essence and significance of Christ to the conventions we are involved in.