By Fr Ken Spreadborough
It seems that at around this time there are many major events, especially sporting events.
For example, State of Origin, Football World cup, Commonwealth games, Open Golf, Wimbledon Tennis as well as others such as the Logie Awards.
Within each of these there are participants who have a particularly high level of skills in that area.
People look up to these highly skilled people with great admiration and even look to emulating their achievements, often to the extent of this being the major concern for them.
That person becomes their idol.
Idols and idolatry are nothing new.
Biblically it can go back as far as Moses and his reaction to the golden calf (Exodus 32), to Elijah and his dealing with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18) or Paul dealing with the silversmiths in Ephesus (Acts 19).
The Ten commandments starts off with “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20.3) and Paul says “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” (1Corinthians 10.14).
In the past, idols were in the form of graven images and pictures.
In our present day, anything that hinders us from worshipping God or doing His will symbolizes an idol.
It’s basically when you let things become your source of joy instead of God.
Jesus says that if you want to be His disciple, you must love Him more than your parents, spouse, children, siblings, and even your own life (Luke 14:26) and also reminds us that he is with us always until the end of the world (Matthew 28.20).
So is your idol …. a short term one, or Jesus, the one for eternity?
