MJ AND IDOLS

Psalm 96:1-9
1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. 3 Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. 4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and glory are in His sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come into His courts. 9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.

In front of Chicago's United Center stands a statue of Michael Jordan. The leaping figure taunts gravity, as "His Airness" is about to consummate a patented dunk. Quite impressive.

But imagine the folly of bowing in prayer to a statue! It happens.

As a Christian influenced by Western culture, I think of idols as relics of the past. But throughout the world many people still worship man-made images. Whether made of wood, metal, or stone, these creations sit silently while worshipers pray to them or place offerings before them.

Idols--real idols--are very much a problem in the world. Some are symbols of religion. Others, such as the Windy City's tribute to a sports star, give evidence of my culture's idolatrous worship of celebrities who are just as human as we are.

Those who worship idols are aware of a significant truth: They themselves are not the center of the universe. But the focus of their worship is misdirected. "All the gods of the nations are idols," sings the psalmist, "but the Lord made the heavens" (96:5)."Splendor and glory are before Him; strength and glory are in His sanctuary" (v.6).

The living God infinitely transcends all other gods. In contrast to the impassive and unmoving images that represent gods long dead or never living, the Lord alone is capable of hearing our prayers. Only He can provide our lives with real meaning and eternal significance.

Those of us who know Jesus have some work to do. We need to build cross-cultural bridges to people who are desperately seeking the truth in the wrong places. There is only one God who merits our praise and hears our prayers. --Tim Gustafson

DESTINATION POINTS

* In what ways do I look down on cultures that have idol worship? Is my attitude helping or hurting people who don't know the good news of Jesus?
* How have I turned away from God in my search for meaning?
* Are my spending habits or the way I use my time an indication that I have "idols" in my life?

LINKS:
Promises, Promises
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/003/23.72.html

bottom line: Only God is worthy of our worship.

soul journey