Multicultural Wingdings

1 Corinthians 8:4-9

We thought it was just an innocent “wingding.” You know, that weird font on your computer that offers whimsical characters to spice up your page.

But the ornate design we chose for a book on wisdom turned out to be a Hindu symbol. Needless to say, the second printing of the book did not contain that wingding.

Now, God is not intimidated by the power suggested by this symbol. “The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4), but the wingding must have had a disconcerting effect on Christians who were familiar with it.

That’s why a news item about a new cathedral troubled me. Its 25-ton bronze doors are adorned with “symbols of deities from around the world.” I’m all for appreciating other cultures, but this is a structure built for people who name the name of Jesus.

Idolatry is alive and well throughout the world. Even though the idols themselves are as unresponsive as pavement (Jeremiah 10:1-16), the demonic powers behind them are a real concern. Every culture has something unique and wonderful to contribute, but we must be on the alert for things that fly in the face of the direct teachings of Scripture.

The apostle Paul addressed this issue when he wrote to the Christians in Corinth—a city that offered meat to idols and then sold the meat in the marketplace. Some Christians were buying the meat and eating it. Others boycotted such food. “An idol is nothing at all in the world,” Paul wrote, “and . . . there is no God but one” (1 Corinthians 8:4). However, Paul also noted the link between “idolatry and witchcraft” in Galatians 5:20-21 and warned that people who embrace them “will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

In our increasingly diverse culture, idolatry has become a concern. It’s time to educate ourselves so we won’t offend other Christians, and so we can better share our faith with those who pray to gods who can’t hear them. —Tim Gustafson

bottom line: Be careful—idolatry can be hard to see.

soul journey