Covid and False Gods
It's interesting that the pandemic has come to our country during lent this year. I gave up facebook but after the news started getting more and more intense, I decided to forsake that commitment (sorry God) so I could be available to help my friends and know what's going on in my community. I did not abandon the commitment for no cheese, and I really miss it. But I've lost some weight so maybe that's good? Or maybe it's muscle mass deteriorating. Probably.
Anyway, I've been reading this great book called Counted with the Stars about an Egyptian slave who escapes with the Hebrews from Egypt during the exodus. I've been reading through her fictional account of the plagues that hit Egypt, how they targeted Egyptian gods. The timing was interesting because I feel like between the Lent timing and the mass grief over all of the cancelled things, we're seeing God start to remove idols from our lives.
What do I worship? As a 21st century Christian? I want to say I worship God only and serve Him only but I think there are plenty of things I put in His place.
Entertainment
Freedom and free time
Independence
Relationships
Safety
Financial security
Peace
Family
There are other things. Sports, which I don't care about. Money. So many things that we've built our foundations on, and now they're shaking.
Lent is supposed to show us our absolute depravity and our need for God to step in and save us. And if this shut-down of all things across the world isn't declaring that we need something--Someone--more powerful and more transcendent than all of the things we've turned to, I don't know what ever will.
I praise Him for his goodness every day, even though I can hardly see it sometimes. Because there are good things that happen when so many things have to die. Rebirth is powerful and it never looks quite like we want it to or expect it to, but hopefully, in this time, we take some moments to examine what we find most important and stop worshiping the things that we ought not be worshiping. Lord, turn our hearts toward You and show us the things you're stripping away from us to clear our hearts and shape us to be more like you.
Anyway, I've been reading this great book called Counted with the Stars about an Egyptian slave who escapes with the Hebrews from Egypt during the exodus. I've been reading through her fictional account of the plagues that hit Egypt, how they targeted Egyptian gods. The timing was interesting because I feel like between the Lent timing and the mass grief over all of the cancelled things, we're seeing God start to remove idols from our lives.
What do I worship? As a 21st century Christian? I want to say I worship God only and serve Him only but I think there are plenty of things I put in His place.
Entertainment
Freedom and free time
Independence
Relationships
Safety
Financial security
Peace
Family
There are other things. Sports, which I don't care about. Money. So many things that we've built our foundations on, and now they're shaking.
Lent is supposed to show us our absolute depravity and our need for God to step in and save us. And if this shut-down of all things across the world isn't declaring that we need something--Someone--more powerful and more transcendent than all of the things we've turned to, I don't know what ever will.
I praise Him for his goodness every day, even though I can hardly see it sometimes. Because there are good things that happen when so many things have to die. Rebirth is powerful and it never looks quite like we want it to or expect it to, but hopefully, in this time, we take some moments to examine what we find most important and stop worshiping the things that we ought not be worshiping. Lord, turn our hearts toward You and show us the things you're stripping away from us to clear our hearts and shape us to be more like you.
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