No Other Gods

Estimated reading time: 5 minute(s)

Believe it or not, I finally succumbed to national peer pressure last night. I had resisted for a long time now, standing my ground like a good soldier. My resolve was firm. I would not give in. My TV would not tune in American Idol. But, last night I did.

Now, it’s different than you might think. 🙂 The reason we were watching last night is a friend of ours from college Joe Boyd, e-mailed (well, his wife did) and let his friends know he got a spot on that very network TV show! So, we figured one night couldn’t hurt us. 🙂

(OK, it wasn’t that bad… but I won’t be tuning in any more shows, unless other friends are on it…) 🙂

If you, like me before last night have never seen it, during the course of the show there are little one to one and a half minute versions of popular tunes that these young unknowns belt out with all their might, and then a panel of three judges lets them know what they thought. Sometimes humorous, sometimes accurate, they rate the performances. Then, I guess America does as well at the end of the show, as people can vote for their favorites by phone.

During one of the performances in the middle, there was a young guy singing about a girl without whom he’d be incomplete. Typical love song. We were created to love, and sometimes we can be quite good at it. We can see the absolute best in someone else, even if perhaps they can’t. We buy flowers, present gifts, even write songs. (Or at least sing them.)

Now, I am a song writer. And I have actually written a song or two about/to my beautiful wife, Jen. I love her. That’s why. 🙂 BUT, I have also thought many a time… I can’t write any song with the emotion of a song I write for God because, I love him most. How could I love anyone more? He loves me completely – even more than completely?? – even knowing everything about me. So I always thought it silly that everyone writes love songs to a guy or a girl that they have or don’t have. In a way, I thought it was idolatry.

A lot of Christians might agree with me. I was reading a book last night – good book, by the way.. AND it was a 99¢ find at Book Warehouse in Savannah, GA… one of our favorite bookstores! – and he was talking about loving people. That we need to love people to show them how much God loves them. And then it struck me. We have such a clinical approach to loving people. We are surrogate lovers for God, who is obviously incapable of loving them, so we need to out of obligation step in and help out. Perhaps that is to condemning, but I do believe we look at it that way at times.

Why can’t we love someone, just because they are amazing as God created them. Even the “unlovable”? Jesus loved them. He spent much of his time with the people that everyone else hated, or thought to be worthless. Because he was God? perhaps… But I think more because he really loved people. It wasn’t duty, or obligation. He was not “ministering” to them. Not a conduit for God’s love. HE LOVED THEM.

I do believe that God said we were “very good” (Gen 1), and that are made in his image. I believe that even though we on our own can not attain perfection (like God), he has made us to be like him (I am not sure the fullness of that statement, but he says we’re made in his image…) So I think that just as we are built to love God with all we are, that another of his creation – another human – is worthy of OUR love as well… not our love as a substitute for God.

What if I said to Ian, “I love you Ian,” and then quickly tagged on, “… because God does. He loves you very much, and so, I do.” Would that make Ian feel all warm and fuzzy inside? A little. But what about when I just tell him that I love him??? OK, too easy you say? He’s my son? Of course I love him? Well, what about my wife, before she was my wife? In a quiet moment… just the two of us… enjoying the company of one another. In the moment, I let her know, “I love you Jen,” and with deep sincerity, I add, “BECAUSE God loves you, and he wants you to know he loves you!” Ha! That would have been awesome! NO!!! I love Jen because I see in her the coolness that God put into her! SHE is awesome (that’s what HE thinks, isn’t it??!) WELL… SO DO I!!!

So am I being idolatrous? Putting someone else “before God”? You know, if we let our hearts go too far in loving someone or something, that makes it a god, and God said to have no other “gods” before him. I remember hearing as a kid that Coke could be your “god” if you like it too much.

Why are we so insane???

To love someone, really love them, not to serve out of obligation or duty, but to truly love someone is not idolatry… it’s not worshipping them. And it doesn’t even have to be a spouse or a child. The story in the book I read was about a homeless guy the author had met a few times. He gave him lunch as a second thought because he felt like he should. And he admitted as much at the end of the story… but he still said he needed to love the man to show him that God loves him. And I say, “No!” We can and should love each other because God made us all loveable. Somehow he does. Despite any of our messed-up-ness.

SO, while American Idol unabashedly sets up people to be worshipped, even calling them idols… 🙂 I was reminded how valuable each person God created really is. So do something nice, love with your words… even sing a love song for someone today. (Preferably save the love song for your spouse, if you’re married…) 🙂

They’re worth it.