Idolatry.

When I say Idol....

You think of what...?

Let me guess... when I say that *oldschool* word you think of golden calves, images and icons, statues, you say that it is Old Testament stuff like wooden creations made by man, a bygone and no longer a reality.

Yeah, I thought so.

The unfortunate reality is the majority of the world today still thinks of idols as being dead and a bygone of history. But how very dangerous that is. The truth is that idols are just as real today, just as destructive and leave us just as unsatisfied as the idols of Old Testament times. In fact, I would argue (and I have the support of many, many authors and scholars, people much smarter than I) that the idea of idolatry in today's world is far more rampant now than it has ever been in the past, and the underlying issues with idolatry are so very dangerous and present to all members in today's world. I believe it to be a necessity that this be brought into the light, the fact that our society we live in is guilty of placing our sole hope and trust into the many empty promises that these various idols we naively trust promises us.

First I feel as though it would be appropriate to identify by what I mean by "idol". I don't mean the latest singer on that T.V. show American Idol, I don't necessarily mean a celebrity, person or a statue. I mean (yes anything, even if we feel as though it may be a good thing) that we place our hope in to give us something that we desire other than God. It looks different for everyone, it is different for everyone... I touch on that near the end though. Just wait to get there my friend!

I know I am so "preachy" in my blog entries, I realize that, and for those of you that find that annoying, I am sorry. But with this entry I feel as though both Christian and non-Christian would do extremely well to read and in the very least ponder on what I'm saying. It's a hard lesson to see that our society has been pursuing and placing our trust in things that are empty, though we believe them to be our help in the current crises of our day. To prove my point I think the greatest example available is to take a glance back to our history to prove this point.

If the society of one hundred years ago were to look briefly at where we are now, I believe they would give us a HUGE standing ovation. They would applaud the fact that every child has an equal opportunity to a government-paid education, children are generally not forced to drop out of school prematurely to help support the family and the average income of a house is significantly higher than that which they are used to. The world of 100 years ago would be lost in that which we daily live. They would not recognize how we go about our daily activities as our technological advances would appear to be space-like to them... and they would likely see this as a good thing I believe that many of the luxuries we have that were not available one hundred years are an incredible blessing, but I am not convinced that we are better off than they were. Over the last 100 years our capabilities have skyrocketed (technologically speaking), which in many ways is a great thing! But in an equal ratio to this skyrocketing are the skyrocketing issues and problem we face. As our advances as a society increase, our problems do as well, you cannot deny this. That as we attempt to strive for a better life the way in which we try to accomplish this task is the source of all problems we have to deal with daily on a local and universal level.

As I mentioned before I believe there are underlying issues and problems that go deeper than just the idols we esteem. I think these underlying issues are based upon the ideologies we are taught and convinced to hold with high esteem. Meaning, I believe our society has instilled values in people to pursue and strive to meet certain standards to be "successful" people. This is where it gets dangerous. Some of these ideologies are things such as security, status, satisfaction or stability (S4). I think if you look at almost every one of the major problems in the world today they all stem from one of the aforementioned issues. People are taught to pursue these with all that they are, afterall that is the chief goal of mankind (a general term for humanity, not the sex).

This is when it becomes so dangerous. When we allow these end goals to become our gods. In our pursuit of S4 we unknowingly and unintentionally let our ideologies becomes our god, we become dependent on them. Being possessed by the end is what is incredible dangerous for all of humanity, that is when we are in danger of being controlled by what we have allowed to become a god, this is where we become idolaters.

In response to the pursuit of S4 we as society and individuals have two possible paths to choose between. The first path is that which involves our commitment to live our lives according to the biblical way. That is to live justly, to love our neighbours, to be good stewards of that which God has entrusted to us and that our goals will fall in obedience to what God’s goals for us are. The second path is that which is living in accordance to our own selfish, limited-perspective goals, the way that leads to the many social issues around the world.

We have been given the freedom to choose to follow the first path which would ultimately lead to the world God has created for us to live in, where we passionately pursue Jesus and not our own ambition, where we view everything through the lens of the cross.

However, as a whole we (I say we, because we are all tied together here on earth) have chosen to follow the second path. To pursue the building of our own kingdoms, not God's kingdom being built here on earth.

Take a look at the world around us... It is clear that we have chosen to follow this second path, we have chosen sin, disobedience to God, a willing walk away from the path we know we are supposed to be following. From Adam to now (with the exception of Jesus Christ), every human being has fallen, sinned and deliberately done what we know we ought not too. Because of our choosing this path, evil, suffering, and sin have entered the world. We as a society are now caught in this destructive life-style, trapped on this destructive pathway following false ideologies, worshiping false gods and living a life that leads to imminent death with pain, hurt, disgust and suffering as constant companions along the way. We have pursued the building and advancement of our own kingdom, but the ironic thing is that this is exactly what leads to our personal kingdoms demise. The one that we need for us to be salvaged and saved is the one along the other path, Jesus Christ.

We have got to appreciate and realize that ultimately it ALL comes down to following Jesus, He alone connects all the loose ends we see in the world. Without him, we are without hope, we are without life, without guidance and without anything that will help us accomplish the S4. Society has these which we all too often seek to satisfy internally on our own. But to accomplish this we need to walk the path, the thin, narrow path that leads to Jesus and is led by Jesus. Too often Jesus is not who we look to, we look to ourselves, and that is where we become idolaters and have false gods lead our way. When we allow the idols of our time to govern how we live, that is when we are led to our death. Only when Jesus is our navigation, only when we look to Jesus for our everything will we truly reach what we desire in our innermost self...

He is the only way we can ever achieve anything of value, Jesus is the only way we can reach what we truly are searching for... Because we are searching for Him. The false hope we place in so many things (which I have called idols up to this point) whether it be drinking, partying, sex, pornography, relationships or X (that generic valuable which changes for every individual, you know what your struggle here is) always leads to pain, brokenness and heartache, leaving a whole bigger than the one we were previously trying to fill.

In fact, when we do learn to pursue Jesus with our everything, the S4 which we thought we needed begins to fade in its former luster and importance and we realize that we don't need anything but Jesus. For He is the way, the truth and all source of life for us. He is all we need. I promise you on all that I am, He is everything.

Be blessed friends, find your fulfillment in Him alone,

-Kyle.Trigg

Let me use this in my life...

Let me use disappointment as material for patience.
Let me use success as material for thankfulness.
Let me use trouble as material for perseverance.
Let me use danger as material for courage.
Let me use reproach as material for long suffering.
Let me use praise as material for humility.
Let me use pleasures as material for temperance.
Let me use pain as material for endurance.

-John Baillie

A Franciscan Benediction

I figure if I am lacking the time necessary to write my own blogs I may as well steal writings from people far more intelligent than I that have blessed me... In hopes that these words may bless you as well.

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the wrodl,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen.

Eh hee

"Strange evolution, how people have come to believe,
we are its greatest achievement
when really,
we're just a collection of cells overrating ourselves"

- Dave Matthews Band

No Shave November

Novembeards are here.

The best part is, I now have a justification for being greasy and unkept. In fact, I have an entire army of the same kind as me doing this and encouraging me along the way to keep the course!

It's gonna be fun.