Word to the Wise
Thursday, March 22, 2007 - Thursday in the Fourth Week of Lent
[Exodus 32:7-14 and John 5:31-47]The Lord said to Moses, "Go down at once to your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it...."
The history of the journey of the Chosen People in the desert is filled with incidents of "what has God done for us lately?" The complaining and rebellion really exasperated Moses and God both! This particular incident is really galling. It's bad enough to criticize God and Moses for food and living conditions, etc. But to think that ANOTHER God could be designed and worshiped? Oh my! It's like designating the nearest rock and placing it on an equivalent basis with Yahweh, even if the Golden Calf was made of everybody's gold jewelry! We'd better not point the finger at the Chosen People too quickly. Often enough in our consumer/individualist oriented society, we are tempted to create a God of our own designs - one not too demanding but responsive when needed. Sometimes we substitute our national flag and historic documents and build temples to secular heroes in place of God! Or we worship celebrities and vicariously live our lives through them. After a thorough examination of conscience, what could any of us say to Moses when he gets to the bottom of the mountain? Are we missing a ring or bracelet? AMEN
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