Do you miss “American Idol”? TV’s classic
reality-talent show came to a relatively quiet ending earlier this year, culminating
15 years of good, bad, and occasionally ugly singing by eager and ambitious
young men and women. From the show some real stars were born, and it inspired a
horde of similar programs, such as “The Voice” and “America’s Got Talent.”
But from
the start, they got it wrong. Because the real
American idol is still very much with us. It just doesn’t sing. It’s adorned by
images of Washington, Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson (for now – soon to be replaced
by Harriet Tubman), Grant, Franklin, and others. Yes, it’s Money.
It’s ironic
that our currency and coins bear the motto, “In God We Trust,” because judging
by our materialistic, consumerism-driven society, if there’s anything we really
trust in, it’s not almighty God but the “almighty dollar.”
A couple
weeks ago we commemorated the 15th anniversary of what we all now
identify as “9/11,” when terrorist-commandeered commercial airliners targeted
the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, turning them into infernos.
Perhaps you recall the days after the horrific events, when then-President
George W. Bush sought to restore calm, promising “we will rebuild,” and that the
entities responsible would be punished severely.
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| Do we carry our "god" in our wallets? |
Toward the
end of his speech, Bush offered a subtle reminder: “We cannot let the
terrorists achieve the objective of frightening our nation to the point where
we don’t conduct business, where people don’t shop….” He also urged Americans
to continue traveling without fear, taking family vacations, and maintaining their
spending practices.
Without
question, the President was seeking to offer reassurance that life as we knew
it wasn’t coming to an end. But he also was acknowledging the wheels of the USA
are greased by free spending; to cease doing so would have lasting, disastrous
effects on the economy. Fifteen years later, nothing’s changed.
I’ve been
participating in a series called “Gods at War,” examining false gods or “idols”
that compete with the true God for allegiance. Money – or wealth – is one of
those “gods.” Thinking about idols, we envision people worshiping icons or
statues in various forms and sizes. But idolatry requires no religious context.
To venerate money, we need only go to a bank, an ATM, a card-swiping machine at
a retail checkout counter, or even a computer where we enter credit card
numbers to buy what we need – or think we need.
Author Kyle
Idleman states money becomes an idol when it shifts our focus from God. Or when
we assess our value based on our valuables. Money – or the things it can
provide – takes on god-like proportions when it becomes one’s purpose for
living, as has been the case for many men and women. You might know some of
them.
Materialism
and greed aren’t unique to the United States. Even in primitive societies, the
person with the straw-topped hut will envy someone with a tin roof. But in
America, where most of our poor would still be regarded as affluent in many
Third World lands, money has dominating influence.
Part of the
problem is our inability to answer the question, “How much is enough?” Because
most of us, if we’re honest, would respond, “I don’t know, but I’m sure I don’t
have it yet.”
We can
blame the media, advertising, or our “I’ve got to have it, and I’ve got to have
it now!” culture. But ultimately we must confess that too often we’ve let money
and its offspring command the throne of our hearts.
So what’s
the solution? Maybe we simply need to get back to basics. When Jesus declared, “You cannot serve both God and money
(mammon)” (Matthew 6:24), He wasn’t speaking idealistically or euphemistically.
He was saying we should recalibrate our priorities. Who or what are we going to
serve? Which gets our worship and adoration?
The gospel
of Mark tells of a rich young man who approached Jesus asking, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark
10:17). He told Jesus he had faithfully observed the commandments throughout
his life – at least he thought he had. Jesus responded with what we might call
“tough love.” He said, “Go, sell
everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven” (Mark 10:21).
If you’d
been in that situation, how would you have responded? It’s easy to declare, “My
money and my stuff have no hold on me.” But if someone insisted we demonstrate our
loyalty – God or possessions – which would we choose? God, the Creator of the
universe, or money, the designer of our particular “universe”?
In His “Sermon
on the Mount,” Jesus was straight-forward: “Do
not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy,
and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break
in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew
6:19-21).
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