"American idols"

First Presbyterian church
September 17, 2006
Peter S. Buehler
Exodus 20:1-6

You shall not make for yourself an idol..

The 2nd Commandment used to be easier to keep -- at least it was before 1989.

I know this sounds odd, so let me explain.
It was in 1989 that the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible was published -- the version we have in our church.
The NRSV made changes in the English translation, reflecting what scholars believed was a more accurate translation of the original texts of the Bible.
One of the changes the NRSV made is in the 2nd commandment.
Earlier versions had it: you shall not make for yourself a graven image.
The NRSV says, you shall not make for yourself an idol.

But I happen to like "graven image."
I like the word "graven"; it's one of those old Bible words that no one uses anymore.
Other modern versions say "carved image," and while it means the same thing it just doesn't sound as good.
To make a "graven image" sounds way more serious;
It's what Charlton Heston would say: thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image…
That's a real commandment!

But to be honest, I like the older English version more because it makes the 2nd commandment easier to ignore.
It's not something I ever do; I doubt you do either.
We don't worship graven images!
I admit I have some carvings in my office -- we have a few at home -- but they're not carved images of a deity and I definitely don't bow down to them and serve them.

But when the NRSV says you shall not make for yourself an idol -- that makes things more complicated, and personal.
If by definition an idol is any image, any thing, that is the object of adoration -- "adore" meaning to love deeply or at least like a lot -- then I admit to having idols in my life.
Graven images, not really; idols, I'm afraid so.

Do you?
Someone has said that people of faith today are called to survive in an idolatrous world.
If that's true, what sorts of idols do we contend with?
What sorts of things are people tempted to worship and serve?

We could put a long list together without much trouble.
We're sensitive about what we call "material things," objects large and small that have a tug on us, that we truly care about, most of which we really need.
The list would include our car, our home; clothing for different needs and occasions; furniture and appliances -- things that make our homes comfortable and enjoyable, nice to come back to at the end of the day.
Most of us will admit that we need our computers.
I don't worship mine; I don't bow down to it; it's supposed to serve me, not the other way around. But when my server is down or something else doesn't work right with the computer, I definitely take its name in vain, so maybe there is something idolatrous going on.

Most of us, I suspect, are trying hard to achieve balance in our lives.
Most of us realize, with the Old Testament prophets, that idols are things that turn the tables on us; they are lifeless objects that cause us to serve them, and in this way they will take from us whatever power we choose to give them.
Isaiah, writing in the 6th century B.C. When the people of Israel were in captivity in Babylon, describes a parade where the heavy Babylonian idols, Bel and Nebo, are carried as a crushing load on the backs of "weary animals."
Looking on as an observer, the prophet records what he sees: they stoop, they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity.
A ridiculous sight: the gods are too heavy for the animals, who buckle under the weight, sending the idols tumbling to the ground -- gods who can't even save themselves.

That was 2,500 years ago.
No graven images -- no idols -- is the commandment.
Does it have relevance today?
Is the caution important for us to heed?
Were the Hebrews right, that certain man-made things have a strong attraction for us, that we are tempted to invest them with more meaning and importance than they deserve?
Do these things have the potential for being a burden to us and not a help?
And if the commandments, while stated in the negative -- thou shalt not -- all have a positive side, the promise of god's saving power and help, how do we understand, and trust, that power?
Images do have power.
We're bombarded by them; it's a fact of modern life.
Usually we look and we're captured by an image.
The inside cover of a magazine we subscribe to at home has an ad for a really nice car.
A really expensive car.
But the image, I must admit, is powerful.
Shiny deep red color; the model they show is a convertible, it has great lines.
Sleek. Beautiful finish. Lots of horsepower.
Wow.
The ad touts the German engineering, using words like "unmatched aerodynamic proficiency," "impeccable handling"; a "ride which is nothing short of breathtaking."
"luxury (that) is abundant but never superfluous."

Who writes this stuff?
Every word calculated to reach some part of the human brain that goes straight to the emotions, the I-wish-I-could-have-this lobe.
But what really gets me is the tag line under the image of the car: this is the 2007 SL-class. Awe- inspiring beauty.
Since when do cars inspire awe?
Since when did we start using words meant for God, and God's works, and God's creation for cars?

Driving into Yosemite Valley and seeing El Capitan, that's awe.
Seeing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, that's awe.
Watching your child being born, the one your wife has carried with in her for nine months, that's awe.
Being with and praying with a life-long believer who is courageously and faithfully struggling with serious illness, that is awe.
Not cars.

What is the issue behind the 2nd commandment?
In part, it's about knowing ourselves, knowing the pull that certain man-made things have on our minds.
It's about recognizing the power of images, so that we can be in control of our needs, and not the other way around.

In this John Calvin, the Protestant Reformer, is a help to us.
Not exactly a modern consumer, nevertheless this 16th century theologian, who we tend to think of as very severe, also had a pastoral side; he taught that materials things are not bad in themselves.
There's nothing wrong with spending money on things we need, nor is there anything wrong with buying things of beauty for their own sake.
God created the world for our good, not for our ruin, he wrote.
I like what he says about food.
Now if we ponder to what end God created food,
We shall find that he meant not only to provide for necessity but also for delight and good cheer.
No guilt; enjoyment is good.
Enjoy the delights of this world; share in them.
But, as Calvin says, use them to the end to which God created them -- for our good.
Not as ways to address other needs;
Not as ways to fill an emptiness;
Not as objects that become something they're not -- idols, false gods.

Which brings us to the strong positive message behind the 2nd word, the 2nd commandment about no-idols.
It's that our God is so great, and so giving, and so strong, and so gentle, and so full of truth and beauty and holiness and promise!
The Hebrews railed against graven images -- even images of the God of Israel -- because they were small and powerless, or because they were large and heavy and a burden, not a help but a hindrance.
The idols were life-less, not life-giving.

So many people today are looking for life and love and meaning in the wrong places!
Madison Avenue, insofar as it promises peace, happiness and fulfillment from man-made things, is not a reliable voice, to say the least.
An appealing voice, but not a trustworthy one.

Yet I think this is where we need to reach out.
To not judge or dismiss anyone who keeps faith or the church at arm's length.
Life is hard, and belief today in God is difficult; there are so many reasons for not giving over control of our lives to our loving God.
So many reasons for seeing Sunday as the second half of Saturday, a hiatus between Friday and Monday, instead of setting Sunday aside in some way for God and for worship.

Without criticizing our neighbor, can we also be more persistent about inviting her/him/them to worship, simply because putting god first is how we come to know that God puts us first.
It's where we hear good news, the blessing behind the 2nd commandment, that while idols offer empty promises, god promises and gives new life.

What does this God look like?
He has a face, and it is a face of endless compassion, understanding, forgiveness, and truth.
He does not overlook anyone; he does not overload anyone.
Sometimes he finds us and comes to us, sometimes he waits for us and we find him -- but whatever our circumstances or our path, his message is grace: Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Amen.