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[ # ] American Idols pt. 1
Posted by Eric Stillman on January 2nd, 2008 under American culturePrint This Post  Print This Post

I’ve heard it said that “fish don’t realize they are wet” – it’s just the world in which they live.  In the same way, it is easy to be unaware that we are reading the Bible as 20th century Americans with a 20th century American way of looking at the world.  As American fish living in an American sea, we have grown up with a culture that plays a significant role in shaping our theology and outlook on life.  Which leads me to an important question:  how have we obscured the gospel of Jesus Christ by looking at it through lenses that are democratic, capitalistic, scientific, and American-dream seeking (among other lenses)?  

In ancient Israel, one of the complaints frequently issued by God and the prophets against the people was their tendency to replace God with idols.  Whether it was due to God’s invisibility vis-à-vis the tangible quality of man-made gods, or whether it was simply acquiescing too much to the neighboring cultures, idolatry always seemed to trip up the people of God.  For this reason, the second commandment given to Moses by God on Mt. Sinai in Exodus 20:4 was this:  “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters below.”  Sadly, this commandment was routinely disregarded: 1 & 2 Chronicles is largely a historical review of many of the kings of Israel, and it’s almost comical to see how over and over Israel would have one king forsaking God and erecting idols for worship, followed by another king who would smash down the idols and return the people to God.  It seems that the lure of other gods has been an ever-present temptation.

These days, we aren’t as likely to construct manmade idols to worship, but we are hardly less idolatrous.  I want to spend some time over the next few weeks on the blog looking at “American Idols,” with idol defined as “something other than God that we are tempted to worship, emulate, or believe will save us.”  As fish living in the “American sea,” we can easily grow oblivious to the voices and images that are beckoning us to forsake God and worship them.  And just like the Israelites would try to allow worship of God to coexist with idols, we can allow our worship to be corrupted by our 20th century American idols and worldview.  I believe it is time to name those idols and expose the spiritual forces that are trying to lead us to worship gods who can not save us.  There is a great passage in Isaiah 44 where the prophet talks about those who make wooden idols, their own gods to bow down to and worship, saying to them “save me; you are my god,” as if a piece of wood could do anything.  But this is exactly what is being promoted all over America, from commercials to the bookstore, from Washington D.C. to Wall Street, and even in many houses of worship:  things and people other than God are raised up for worship, emulation, or even with the promise of saving us from our problems and issues and giving us all that our hearts desire.

There is an amazing poem spoken by Jonah from the belly of the big fish in Jonah 2, and verses 8-9 have always resonated deeply with me.  Jonah says, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD.”  I love the way he puts it – those who stubbornly hang on to worthless idols forfeit, miss out on, the grace that could be theirs.  As we begin our look at American idols, meditate on that image, of a people stubbornly clinging to idols that ultimately can not save, all the while missing out on the true grace, the free salvation, the incredible life that is being offered.  May we truly come to realize through this study that, as Jonah concluded in verse 9, “Salvation comes from the Lord.”

I have a good idea of where I am headed with this series, but I would love to hear from you (especially if you are not or have not always been an “American fish”).  What do you think are the biggest “American idols”?  What do you see being raised up in our culture that is tempting us to worship, emulate or believe in it for our salvation?  If you have any thoughts or insights, please post a comment. 

Read the Comments

[ # 4521 ] Comment from A seeker [January 4, 2008, 11:13 am]

I think we have to look not externally to things like money, posessions, sex, health–but internally to what ideas about life or our own personhood rule us. However I think all we can do is be open, because we want the Holy Spirit to do the work. Trying to improve ourselves can even become idolatrous, because we may hold up the standard we want for ouselves and strive for it, when it is not the standard God wants. For example health consciousness, which is not a bad thing, can become idolatrous if we are motivated by the fear of death, the idea that somehow we can prevent diseases from coming upon us (look at Job), or the idea that to be worthy we must look a certain way. Idolatry runs very deep in us. It began with Satan who worshipped himself. But I think it is an awesome series to start a process of renewal in our hearts. And to answer your last question about a big American idol-I think we just want to avoid suffering at all costs. And the cost of that is high–according to Scripture suffering is a pre-requisite for endurance and maturity!

[ # 5545 ] Comment from Tony Bernhoffer [February 14, 2008, 12:52 pm]

I was just thinking this morning of the Scripture which says:
DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD OR ANYTHING IN THE WORLD. IF ANYONE LOVES THE WORLD, THE LOVE OF THE FATHER IS NOT IN HIM.” (i John 2:15, NIV)
And John goes on to defie worldiness:
FOR EVERYTHNG IN THEWORLD-THE CRAVINGS OF SINFUL MAN, THE LUST OF HIS EYES AND THE BOASTING OF WHAT HE HAS AND DOES-COMES NOT FROM THE FATHER BUT FROM THE WORLD.” (i JOHN 2:16, niv)
I once heard an Insight for Living radio program say that some make an idol of their education-their college diplomas and PhD’s.
America once built an idol statue or a monumente to PROGRESS at the 1916 World’s Fair. Even at the factory my dad used to work at, they provided him with booklets which emphasized PROGRESS. But I say after my fall in graduaie school at Michigan State University in 1986 I asked myself the quesiton AT WHAT PRICE SUCCESS? Or in the words of /Christ roughly, WHAT DOES IT PROFIT A MAN TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD BUT LOSE HIS OWN SOUL?

[ # 5546 ] Comment from Tony Bernhoffer [February 14, 2008, 1:25 pm]

YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU!
FOR WE BROUGHT NOTHING INTO THE WORLD, AND WE CAN TAKE NOTHING OUT OF IT. BUT IF WE HAVE FOOD AND CLOTHING, WE WILL BE CONTENT WITH THAT. PEOPLWHO WANT TO GET RICH FALL INTO TEMPTATION AND A TRAP AND INTO MANY FOOLISH AND HARMFUL DESIRES THAT PLUNGE MEN INTO RUIN AND DESTRUCTION. FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL” (I TIM. 6:7-10A, NIV)

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