UMC20250425 - Modern Idols¶
I’m halfway through my read-the-Bible-in-a-year plan (although two years might be more accurate!), and right now I’m in the major prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. One theme that shouts through the pages is the warning against idol worship. These prophets watched in anguish as the people of God drifted from their calling—not in one dramatic moment, but gradually, by turning to other sources for peace, meaning, and control.
The idols of old were statues—wood and stone—crafted by human hands. But they weren’t just decorative. They represented misplaced trust in the promise of peace and prosperity by well-meaning neighbours—welcoming their gods in hopes of winning their favour. And when one idol failed to deliver rain or security or blessing, people would simply turn to another. Hopping from god to god, hoping one might work. It was a cycle of disappointment and spiritual numbness.
Is it so different today? We may not bow before statues, but many of us scroll endlessly—YouTube, Instagram, TikTok—chasing stillness in a digital stream. We say we’re "just unwinding," but often we’re hoping to feel something. To not feel alone. To quiet the anxiety. And when one platform doesn’t scratch the itch, we hop to another.
These are the new idols. They promise rest but deliver restlessness. They offer escape but not presence. Like a lullaby from a stranger, they soothe us into forgetfulness, not peace. We do this, not just out of boredom, but often to flee a nagging task, a hard conversation, a silent room. We crave relief—but these gods have no arms.
Our hearts become like what we worship—fractured, anxious, always hungry.
But God’s call still breaks through the noise: “Return to me.” Not out of guilt, not to perform, but to fall into the warm, steady embrace of the One who made you. He does not distract—He dwells. He does not drain—He restores.
Put down the idol. Be still. Be known.
Love, Cliff