Word to the Wise
Thursday, March 10, 2016 - 4th Week of Lent - Thurs
[Exod 32:7-14 and John 5:31-47]THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016 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, sacrificing to it and crying out, 'This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the Land of Egypt!'" [Exodus] The incident of the "molten calf" (which tradition calls the "golden calf") occurred when Moses was spending a long time on the mountain and the people got tired of waiting for him. So they persuaded Moses' brother, Aaron, to create the idol for them to worship. This event (which figures in an ironic way in today's gospel, but which I'll have to leave for another time) is a good one for Lenten reflection. There is an old saying, "I know you've done a lot for me but what have you done lately?" The temptation to create a God of our own design is a powerful one in our consumer-oriented culture. If the God of our ancestors doesn't respond the way we want, we simply make a God that will. For some, this God resides on Wall Street; for others in political power; for others in sexual encounter (shades of the Canaanite fertility rites which tempted the Chosen People); for still others in addictive behavior. Money, sex, substances, political power (that gives access to the others) or even religious power (O Lordy, yes). All of these have idol potential. Their influence can be subtle in their growth of importance in our lives until we realize we no longer have time for the God of Jesus Christ. We gradually choose a "God" we consider more immediate and responsive to our "needs." Is there even a little idol somewhere in our lives? A kind of golden "rabbit's foot" that we rub once in awhile, which hedges our religious beliefs? We might even get our religious leaders, like Aaron, to preach the kind of God we like to hear about so that the challenging message of God's mercy is "sanitized" and doesn't threaten us. Yes, that Golden Calf gives us a lot to think about. AMEN
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