When I was a young church mouse, I sat in the pew as our pastor spoke against idols. He would tell us that idols were not limited to the carved statues we read about in the Old Testament. From behind that suit and pulpit, he would warn us that idols could be whatever thing we placed above God as supremely important in our lives. It was so hard to sit still in those pews.
Now, before we move on, let’s be clear. I didn’t care about idols at the time. I didn’t care about anything he said. But through the years, I’ve somehow retained small fragments of his list of subtle gods. Sports…education…family…careers…girlfriends and boyfriends…ice cream…
When Jesus Christ changed me from a church mouse into a man (a common fairy tale in the Scriptures), I was shocked to discover that our old pastor had been telling the truth! All this time, I had been a Canaanite leaving out fruit for those demons to eat. Liberation is an ongoing process and grace is ferocious. I constantly have to snap the necks of the gods in my life.
That being said, I’ve been thinking more about idols and the dark corners they live in. In thinking, an uncomfortable truth has bubbled up to the surface. Those dark things live and breathe in every church that dots this earth. They’re simply camouflaged. They’re snakes dressed up in the skin of angels.
And they have to disguise themselves. If they didn’t, we would denounce them before they could whisper in our ears. Money? Sex? T.V? Such idols are far too “worldly” to go unnoticed in our evangelical culture. They’re too jagged and toxic to lure us in without a fight. So the devil, brilliant strategist that he is, has perverted the things near and dear to the church’s heart. He doesn’t bother to batter down the gates. He merely dresses up as the things we love.
Christian idols are always disguised as honoring to God. Here are some of the big ones I’ve noticed: apologetics, right wing politics, “Christian music”, prayer journals, ministry, the idea of a Christian nation, our devotions (which aren’t usually very devoted), and our own appearance as a good Christian. The list rattles on and changes according to whatever soil a certain church is planted in. I’m just going to punch a few of them in the throat right here and leave you to ponder the rest and respond if you wish. I truly love hearing from you.
A Christian Nation
There are some people who love Jesus and hate the Republican Party. There are some people who love Jesus and hate the Democratic Party. This is fair because Jesus doesn’t fit into a political party. When we try and force Him to wear our buttons and endorse our slogans, we start to drown in foolishness. Nevertheless, there are some out there who remained convinced that America was once a Christian nation. They are passionate about returning our country to that status. Their Christianity has become nothing more than a vehicle for such change.
But didn’t we already witness a historical experiment in theocracy? Didn’t we already see a country where the executive branch (the kings) made the Bible the law of the land? Weren’t the Ten Commandments hanging in their courthouse (so to speak)?
Yet which prophet had anything good to say about Israel? Which prophet did Israel not kill? If a “Christian nation” didn’t work out then and there, where the Lord Himself set it up, why do we persist in the idea that it will work now in America, where God has not instituted such a system? The pursuit seems to be an utterly fruitless crusade. And it is a crusade that shrinks God down into a policy. It is an idol.
Our Devotions
I refrain calling them “quite times” because, honestly, it reminds me of taking naps in kindergarten. But what I’m talking about is the spiritual discipline of a Christian getting alone to talk to God and dwell in the Scriptures. It’s a beautiful thing. But it too is in danger of perversion. Our time alone with Jesus becomes an idol when we become performers and dealers.
We look at our devotions and we make them as sincere as possible (God knows we hate to be legalists) and we feel that if we are devout, then God must love us. If we are truly obedient and joyfully following Him, then He will love us. It turns us into performers who are solely concerned with holy living to secure love. Our best attempts to be real with God can become nothing more than paper thin legalism.
Or we go into it quite honestly to get something out of God. We assume that if we take the time every day to spend time with God, then He is duty bound to bless us. We deal out a solid quite time each day and, in return, God must become our slave. But God cannot function as a slave. It’s against His very nature. And the dealers, too, become just as idolatrous.
Our devotions can simply become a means to an end. We make sincere (and insincere) time with God into a golden goose, either to get the love we crave or the blessings we feel we deserve.
Christian Music
I’ll go ahead and call this “Christian music” as well. Some Christians who are more culturally oriented make a big deal out of the music they listen to. They feel that the only type of music a Christian should listen to is Christian music. I can’t help but wonder if they exclusively wear Christian shoes and eat Christian toast. They label all secular music as sinful.
The problem here is that the nature of music excludes regeneration. In other words, music doesn’t have a soul that can be saved. Jesus did not die for music. Music cannot become “Christian”. It is an amoral thing, neither good nor evil.
Now, to be fair, I know what folks mean when they talk about Christian music. They’re referring (in most cases) simply to the lyrics. They have in mind the JPS levels of the music. For those who aren’t clear on this, the JPS level is simply the Jesus Per Song level. It’s the frequency at which the name Jesus is mentioned in each song. A high JPS level means it is Christian. A low level means that it is secular and bad. There are many problems with this perspective. But that’s for another entry.
The point is, regardless of whether the existence of Christian music is dangerous, holy or a little of both, the attention it commands easily turns it into an idol. And Christian music is just an ambassador for the whole of the evangelical subculture. If it isn’t branded with a cross, it somehow becomes unclean. Again, understand me. I’m not anti-Christian music. I dearly love those people who listen to it. What I have a problem with is when they elevate the Christian subculture above the actual person of Jesus. To these folks, I plead with you: take your eyes off your merchandise and fix them back on Jesus.
Much more could be said. I’m sure that much more will be said. But for now, I suppose that some things will have to remain unsaid. I am suggesting that we all start examining ourselves in the church.
We already know the dangers that are in the world. Preachers have been shouting about them for centuries. What we need to do is look inwardly and sniff out the snakes that sing like angels. If we do not, they will poison us and our souls will quietly bleed to death.