Idols

What is an idol?

I feel like idol is a word, the meaning which is not full understood. Sure we have Idols, American Idol, right? I mean is that all it really is? Someone who has more talent than us and is willing to put themselves on display for the whole world to rip apart. Or is there something more?

In the Old Testament G-d was always getting angry with people because they weren't following him. They were following the idols and gods of the people around them. But we don't have household gods any more, or at least they are not visible. In Roman times you had the gods of your house, the gods of your city, and the gods of Rome, along with the Emperor (the god on earth). Christians were called atheists because they refused to worship the Emperor or any of the other gods. Funny.

So we don't have any household gods, no little bronze statues of idols to pray to (unless you have a Buddha). But we still have idols and gods. Things that have more of an importance in our lives then they should.

I guess another way to think about it is what are you addicted too? I mean I love my Mac, I spend too much time on Facebook, and love Theatre. You could even say that I have a low level addiction to Doctor Who and Conan O'Brien (I might be going through slight with drawl at the moment). But in reality I think addiction is only part of the problem. Addictions are consuming, distracting, and life destroying.

But not ever idol will destroy your life, some of them might even make this life better. Like wanting to be healthy or get more money. Somethings that are bad for you, seem really good, or ok.

I guess that is were I get stuck. I'm always trying to fill my life up with so much stuff, and not all of its bad. Friends, family, good food, hard work, and prosperity. But none of those things are the most important thing. And that is the difficulty. They are important, don't get me wrong, but they are not the most important thing. Because none of those things can make you whole. None of those things can save you. None of those things will survive death, none of them, because you and I can't survive death. And death is one persistent bugger.

At one point in human history it was easy to see what your idol was, you worshiped it, had an image of it in your house. The one thing about modern life and all its conveniences is how easily we are separated from hearing our souls. And no one talks about their idols, not really, because they are not something physical. We can't pull down our Asher Polls or Melt Golden Calves, because those aren't our idols, our gods. And death is the one who laughs in the dark corner, knowing how foolish we are. Lucky the last laugh is not his.