20151113 THE MODERN IDOLS OF OUR TIMES
Readings at Mass
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First reading
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Wisdom 13:1-9 ©
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Naturally stupid are
all men who have not known God
and who, from the
good things that are seen, have not been able to discover Him-who-is,
or, by studying the
works, have failed to recognise the Artificer.
Fire however, or
wind, or the swift air,
the sphere of the
stars, impetuous water, heaven’s lamps,
are what they have
held to be the gods who govern the world.
If, charmed by their
beauty, they have taken things for gods,
let them know how
much the Lord of these excels them,
since the very Author
of beauty has created them.
And if they have been
impressed by their power and energy,
let them deduce from
these how much mightier is he that has formed them,
since through the
grandeur and beauty of the creatures
we may, by analogy,
contemplate their Author.
Small blame, however,
attaches to these men,
for perhaps they only
go astray
in their search for
God and their eagerness to find him;
living among his
works, they strive to comprehend them
and fall victim to
appearances, seeing so much beauty.
Even so, they are not
to be excused:
if they are capable of
acquiring enough knowledge
to be able to
investigate the world,
how have they been so
slow to find its Master?
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Psalm
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Psalm 18:2-5 ©
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The heavens
proclaim the glory of God.
The heavens proclaim
the glory of God,
and the
firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up
the story
and night
unto night makes known the message.
The heavens
proclaim the glory of God.
No speech, no word,
no voice is heard
yet their
span extends through all the earth,
their
words to the utmost bounds of the world.
The heavens
proclaim the glory of God.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Heb4:12
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is
something alive and active:
it can judge secret
emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Lk21:28
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Stand erect, hold
your heads high,
because your
liberation is near at hand.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 17:26-37 ©
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Jesus said to the
disciples:
‘As it
was in Noah’s day, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man. People
were eating and drinking, marrying wives and husbands, right up to the day Noah
went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the
same as it was in Lot’s day: people were eating and drinking, buying and
selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, God rained fire and
brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the
day comes for the Son of Man to be revealed.
‘When
that day comes, anyone on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must
not come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back either.
Remember Lot’s wife. Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and
anyone who loses it will keep it safe. I tell you, on that night two will be in
one bed: one will be taken, the other left; two women will be grinding corn
together: one will be taken, the other left.’ The disciples interrupted.
‘Where, Lord?’ they asked. He said, ‘Where the body is, there too will the
vultures gather.’
THE
MODERN IDOLS OF OUR TIMES
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SCRIPTURE
READINGS: WISDOM 13:1-9;
PS 18:2-5; LK 17:26-37
In the
ancient world, and although not completely diminished in less developed
countries, people throughout the ages have been obsessed with idols.
Indeed, there are many tribes in Asia, Africa and Latin America where the
worship of idols and spirits are predominant. Without the benefit of
modern scientific knowledge and technology, they elevate the forces of nature
to the status of deities because of the power, beauty and might of which they
have no control. More so when the people are dependent on the weather for
their crops and their livelihood is at stake.
Within
this context, we can understand the concerns and struggles of the early
Christians with respect to the worship of idols. The case against
idolatry prevails throughout the scriptures, beginning with the Covenant with
Moses. The Israelites, being agriculturalists after settling down
in the Promised Land, began to adopt the gods of the Canaanites as they were
seen to be the gods of fertility. The Trek God of the forefathers, the
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was abandoned as they were no longer
nomads. When Christianity came into the Greek world, they faced the same
struggles against the pagan gods of the Greeks.
But
idolatry goes beyond the worship of idols and statues. It is the worship
of nothingness because all these idols have no power in them and they do not
last. It is based on delusion and illusion. All idols are
projection of the fear of man wanting to control nature and protect
himself. It is rooted in insecurity and hence attachments to the world
and especially his life. The danger is that in trying to possess the
things of this world and his own life, he loses everything. As the
psalmist says, “Those who make them and all who trust them shall
become like them.” (Ps 135:18)
In possessing the idols and worshipping them, we become like them and are
possessed. The truth remains that nothing on this earth is eternal and
can last.
However,
the idols of the past and the uneducated ironically remain, even among the
educated and the so-called intelligent people of today. This is what St
Paul wrote, “Small blame, however, attaches to these men, for perhaps they only
go astray in their search for God and their eagerness to find him; living among
his works, they strive to comprehend them and fall victim to appearances,
seeing so much beauty. Even so, they are not to be excused: if they are capable
of acquiring enough knowledge to be able to investigate the world, how have
they been so slow to find its Master?” This is an indictment of the world
today, our scientists and technologists and the rulers of the world. How
are they present in today’s times? What are the new idols of science and
technology? It is relativism, materialism, pleasures, pragmatism, power,
glory and status.
Why are
these idols? Relativism worships the passing things and values of
life. Materialism worships the things of this world that cannot
last. Pleasures seek happiness in the momentary. Those who spend
their lives seeking glory, power and status will come to realize when they
arrive, how useless and meaningless such goals are. In truth, they do not
add to one’s happiness but only more stress, trying to keep up with the Joneses
and also fighting off competition from our enemies who are jealous and envious
of us. Pragmatism is shortsighted, always thinking of what satisfies us
here and now. They do not have the foresight to see the remote
consequences of population control, and now same sex unions, euthanasia,
abortion, armaments, etc.
Indeed,
the failure to see that the things this world offers us are all transient and
illusory causes us to labour for nothing. At the end of the day, we never
truly live because we never truly enjoy or love what God has given to
us. We end in despair and hopelessness because things are as
unpredictable as the gospel tells us. Just like Noah and Lot, we never
know what and when tragedy will strike. Most of us are unprepared and yet
the reality is that we cannot be prepared. Indeed, Jesus said, “People
were eating and drinking, marrying wives and husbands, right up to the day Noah
went into the ark, and the Flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the
same as it was in Lot’s day: people were eating and drinking, buying and
selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, God rained fire and
brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all.” Hence, relativism,
materialism, pleasures, pragmatism, will all end in disaster and futility.
Indeed,
the key to overcome despair in modern life is faith in God alone. God,
unlike idols, stands for the eternal and absolute values of life, love and
truth. Only in God, can we see all things in perspective.
With God, we can enjoy creation as the psalmist did, “The heavens proclaim the
glory of God, and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands. Day unto day
takes up the story and night unto night makes known the message. No speech, no
word, no voice is heard yet their span extends through all the earth, their
words to the utmost bounds of the world.” So long as we do not transform
them into gods, as they are ephemeral.
Rather,
we must see God’s creation and creatures as manifesting the beauty and power of
God. “If, charmed by their beauty, they have taken things for gods, let
them know how much the Lord of these excels them, since the very Author of
beauty has created them. And if they have been impressed by their power and
energy, let them deduce from these how much mightier is he that has formed
them, since through the grandeur and beauty of the creatures we may, by
analogy, contemplate their Author.” So let us enjoy what God has given to
us. We should not be afraid of enjoying the pleasures and things of this
world but we must never allow ourselves to be possessed by them and
unconsciously make them our gods. We should go behind and beyond the
creatures and creation to contemplate on the love and beauty of God.
Through the things of this world, imperfect they might be, they only show what
happens when we see the perfect God, the source of power and love and truth in
our lives.
This is
what Jesus is asking of us. Enjoy God’s creation but keep our
detachment. Like those farmers and women working in the fields or at
home, enjoy your work but do not make your work your god and ambition.
When you are possessed by your work, engrossed in making money and fame, you
will regret and miss out loving and being with people, especially your family
members. Work indeed is important but we need to balance it with
relationships. Spend time with your family and loved ones. Spend
time helping the poor and those in need. Spend time serving the
community. But don’t make all these people, especially your spouse and
children, your gods either. As Jesus said, “Anyone who tries to preserve
his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe. I tell you,
on that night two women will be grinding corn together: one will be taken, the
other left.” So don’t make anything or any person, be they your loved
ones, or your favourite priest or bishop or yourself into gods!
We must
learn detachment and live in the moment. When the time comes, let us
learn to let go. Don’t cling on to anything or anyone! Don’t
possess what cannot be possessed! Let go of your possessions, otherwise
you will perish with them. Jesus said, “When that day comes, anyone on
the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must not come down to collect
them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back either. Remember Lot’s
wife.” If many people are not happy today, it is because of their
attachment to what is passing. If you are suffering in bereavement, it is
because you cannot let go of your loved ones and move on. You are
still living in the past and want to possess someone who has gone over to the
Lord. Many are not happy because they keep thinking of their failures,
their mistakes and what they had lost out, the lost opportunities, etc.
Until they let go and trust in God, they cannot be liberated for life and for
love. St Augustine told us the story about a pilgrim on his way to the
kingdom of heaven. Along the way, he saw some beautiful flowers in the
field. Instead of moving on, he stayed there permanently. As a
result, he never reached the real paradise in heaven.
How are
we so sure that happiness is with God not on this earth? Jesus said,
“Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.” In other words,
when we see the vultures hovering in the sky, we know there must be a carcass
around. If there is only one vulture, the sign is not clear. We
have many signs. Ask yourself, what has happened to all the rich, famous,
powerful and influential people today? They are dead and
gone! They are buried with the rest. They are no more
around. No matter how great you are, you will have to leave this
world. So work for eternal values, for the food that gives eternal
life. Work for love, truth, justice, peace and unity. These are the
eternal values that will give you true happiness now, in this life and forever,
in its fullness and in the next. You can enjoy them whilst you are on
earth without fear of losing them, unlike the things of this world. And
at the same time, you can bring them to heaven, unlike the worldly possessions
you have to leave behind. Choose God, worship Him, and live life to the
full, here and forever in the next life. You have the foretaste
here if you live in freedom and without attachment. So the future is
already here, not just a promise but a reality.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh
Roman
Catholic Archbishop of Singapore
©
All Rights Reserved
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