Church of Glass Houses
There's a saying, "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones."
It's an efficient saying because it instantly speaks a truth that most understand. If we cast judgment on others, then we have to be secure enough in our position to expect a return volley of challenges to our failings. Reasonable people have a sense that being a judge is a position that needs to be earned, and very few of us have the qualifications.
I imagine glass houses could look nice, but they'd be fragile and can't withstand a good shake. No one in their right mind would build a glass house, but we do invest a great deal of energy into beliefs and ideas that are helpful for us at the moment but perhaps aren't built to stand the test of time. The homes we choose give us a sense of identity. It's normal for us to respond with fear and anger when something is said or done that belittles or demeans our values.
But I wonder if these moments can serve us by giving us space to evaluate the building materials of our "homes ." I think the anger from some aspects of Christianity over the opening ceremonies of the Olympics has exposed a vulnerability that some of us have with idols. And no, I don't mean that Christians have hidden statues or trinkets that they keep in their closets and hold their own worship ceremonies honoring created deities. It's more subtle but still very deadly to a healthy spirituality. Like breathing in carbon monoxide, idolatry can go undetected. At least until you see believers go from 0 to 100 in terms of outrage the moment they see something they don’t like or understand. Then perhaps…we’ve bumped into a treasured idol.
The definition that I work with to help me define idolatry is anything I've given more spiritual power than it deserves. Yes, smearing and making fun of the actual Last Supper is insulting. Parodying the Last Supper painting, while not my thing, doesn't really bother me because I'm not going to grant a revered piece or art more honor than it merits. Watching how easily some Christians are triggered by things they don't like in culture indicates to me that we have a bigger problem with idols than most would want to admit. Some have become more protective of the belief system and traditions of Christianity than having a relationship with the one at the foundation of the Christian faith. When we do this, we deceive ourselves into thinking we're defending the one who ultimately needs no defense.
Idols are insidious because they sneak in the back door of places of worship, take a seat in the pew, and sit there for years with no one asking them why they're there. The last thing I want to do is patronize you with specific examples of what I think those idols are. These faux deities are great cameleons and can slip their way into any religious community from hyper-conservative to super-progressive. They take the form of closely held ideas that we pin tightly onto how we think God is and how God ought to be perceived.
“To take our ideas of the divine and hold them as if they correspond to the reality of God is thus to construct a conceptual idol built from the materials of our mind. ”
I don't write these things lightly, and I know that living idol-free is not easy. It's natural for us as humans to walk in the direction of stability, comfort, and safety. Beliefs, labels, brands, philosophy, theology, and politics can all help us to have some semblance of stability. Big brand religion has its comforts, but it's decorated with idols.
Being a follower of Jesus is meant to be a walk or a journey. A true journey is predicated upon continual movement, therefore requiring easy-to-disassemble shelters. I write this with great angst because I don't like camping! The foundation of our faith is greater than one specific theological locale. Scripture tells us that we don't build on:
what,
where,
when,
why, or how.
We build on Who.
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”- Matthew 7:24-25
Jesus challenges us not to build our lives upon a political party, a theological stance, or a religion because all of these are subject to change. Those of us on a journey don't have time or energy to sit and throw stones. We are too busy discovering what’s beyond the next horizon. Conflict is a luxury of the established and the well-resourced. We fight because we all prefer to live in castles rather than tents. Those who walk in faith live on a foundation that withstands the ages because this adventure of life is about who we follow. Like the Israelites in the Hebrew scriptures, we are meant to journey, setting up tents along the way, trusting that God will provide, teach, and sustain us. I’d be mildly annoyed if someone kicked over my tent, but I can easily pick up the pieces and move on. Destroy my glass four-story split, though, and I may not recover. Knowing this, I’ll fight tooth and nail to protect it. Jesus wants us to walk away from that battle instinct.
The traveler's faith endures because they must travel light. Yes, it’s risky, but I’m happy to keep walking “because I know whom I have believed and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted him until that day.”
Thanks for reading, friend. May you travel light and live idol-free.
-Jordan
keep moving forward
P.S I don’t live in a four-story split, but I often wish that I did.