Authenticity, Idols and Profanity – Part VII

Just what is an idol? Not merely a physical object, an idol is anything that assumes the role of God in our lives, whether we call it a god, an idol or otherwise. An idol is anything that cannot be questioned, challenged or protested. Anything that cannot be turned away from or rejected in our lives. Anything that controls us, orders our priorities or dictates our preferences.

An odd thing happens when we create idols. We make them untouchable. Take the Ten Commandments themselves. Some Believers would have us putting them up on walls everywhere, even in government buildings. Far better that we take them down off the walls and argue and wrestle with their implications. Far better that we question what they really mean and seek to go through the harder work of living them out. Much harder than posting them, but much safer than by posting them, turning them into idols and profaning the name of God in the process.

Now we can and should prioritize values in our lives, such as God first, then, say, our spouse, if we have one, and so on. But when we say, God first, then what we are saying is that everything is judged by that one supreme value.

Even what I believe about God must be open to reexamination and reevaluation on an ongoing basis. For my beliefs about God are not the same as God Himself. Christian Scriptures and doctrine are not to be worshipped, they are to be examined and wrestled with.

Otherwise we risk falling into the sin of the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law, who in Jesus' day had made their religious belief system so idolatrous, so above touching, that they missed God Himself when He passed through their midst. Interestingly, Jesus is not afraid to question everything taught by Moses even while saying he has come to fulfill the law of Moses. With Jesus, nothing sacred is left beyond the reach of mankind. When Jesus dies, the Holy of Holies itself, that most sacred of places, is opened for all to see and enter, signifying that God is now that much more approachable.

I am fascinated when I read where Jesus encourages Thomas to touch the wounds in Jesus’ hands and side. It is as if he is saying to this friend of his, torn in the conflict of doubt, that he wants Thomas to test both his doubts and his beliefs. Sometimes we get the idea that worship is the opposite of questioning or doubting. Doubt is not the opposite of faith, unbelief is. Unbelief is when we get to the point where we refuse to ask questions, to challenge, to wrestle with truth. Only then is faith impossible.

So it is that only by touching the Divine as Thomas did, only by putting truth to the test, only by questioning and challenging do we come to the place where we can truly worship. As Jacob the Patriarch discovered, we are invited to wrestle even with God Himself. God welcomes our questions, our arguments, our anger even. Only our stony or indifferent silence does He reject.

For to worship God means that we cast aside every pretender to the throne, we throw down every idol and false god and we come to terms with who the true God really is. Then and only then do we truly begin to worship our Maker.