Enligthened Idolatry by Clint

When I read in the Bible about people worshiping idols, I find it somewhat strange. The temptation to worship other gods and idols seemed so strong for the people of the biblical time, even those who had seen God’s work in their lives (Exodus 32). I read this and think, “I would never be tempted in such a way.” Or, “What’s up with them worshiping stuff like golden calves? Honestly, why worship a golden calf?” The whole idol thing sounds so unsophisticated and archaic. The scary thing is that I’m not so sure we are as far removed from all this as we might think; it’s just taken a different, more sophisticated form. I think there are just as many or probably more things in our lives now that distract us from God or tempt us away from Him. We allow ourselves to be so busy and plugged in to so many things that God can become distant to us very quickly.

I thought about this the other day: I went from my apartment, where the TV and computer were on, to my car where I quickly adjusted the air conditioning and radio, to a class I’m taking in which I was on my laptop most of the time (not to mention I was checking my cell-phone voicemail on the way down to my car). We are so digitized and electronified. It’s getting out of control. I’m thinking that this over-reliance and over-exposure can be like a sophisticated idolatry. Now, we can’t shun progress, and it’s not smart to be ignorant and avoidant of technological progress, but I feel confident in saying that we’re beyond the saturation point and most of us are guilty of this saturation. It becomes almost impossible to hear God’s voice when we are constantly tuned in to the voices and influence of media, music, blogs, television, emails, 24 hour news, youtube, and the list goes on and on. All of these things when overused or over-relied upon can become an enlightened idolatry. It doesn’t seem like idolatry because it’s sophisticated and new, but it might just be our biggest hurdle to healthier relationships with God. Again, these technologies can add to productivity and make communication easier. They offer a lot. But it is easy to let ourselves stay so bombarded with stimuli that we sacrifice our ability to hear God’s voice in our lives.

There’s a song by the group Incubus called “Talk Shows on Mute.” The point of the song is that we have become so plugged in to media that it is molding us in the image it desires. How often do we see destructive things on TV? At least in my case, I would say too often. How are those things impacting us? The song I just mentioned reflects sadly on how so many people’s realities are being molded and shaped by producers and media moguls looking for a “new shocking moment” to get rich by. God made us in His image. With all the un-godly images flashing into our brains, it is easy to forget that.