"Idols Fall" 11x14" Acrylic on Paper $150 In the news recently it was reported that here are people rioting and protesting, taking down statues of Southern Generals who supported slavery. In my home town of Ventura they’re thinking of taking down the stature of the missionary and founder of the town, Father Juniperra Serra.
When I heard this I was angry because it is destruction of property, and anarchy, chaos and angry mobs are not a good thing! I thought about how these people should respect the past, - so we can learn from it. But that alone is not reason to keep the statue up, since I wouldn’t expect Germany to keep statues of Hitler up. (It isn’t a fair comparison, I know. )
I think about Bible times when the ancient world was filled with statues of the people’s pagan gods and goddesses. I think of when God told Gideon to tear down the Ashera pole and the statue of the god his father worshiped. I think of King Josiah who tore down the altars to pagan gods that were on the high places.
It made me sad to think that people want to tear down statues of Jesus, but then again, would Jesus, the God who said not to make graven images, have wanted a statue of himself, or of Mary?
Wasn’t the reformation all about the Catholics and protestants disagreeing over statues and worship of saints? (along with other things) Martin Luther never wanted a movement named after himself and I am pretty sure he wouldn’t have wanted a statue of himself! Protestants were protesters too… hence the name.
Pondering these physical statues, I realise that idols are falling down all around us here in America. Because of the pandemic, many things that our country and our world have come to worship have been stopped. Sports idols, movie stars, money, stock market, our jobs. We as a nation are re-evaluating our priorities, our heroes, our history.
My question is, what will we replace these idols with? Who will we choose to honor? Will we go back to being one nation who recognises that we are under God?
Hosea 14:8 “ O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green all your fruit comes from me.”
Maybe there are some things that we as individuals, and we as a nation, need to re-evaluate, about who and what we worship.
As I look at the ruins lining the streets of ancient cities, the Acropolis, the Greek Temples, the Colosseum, I don’t feel bad about their fallen nation. I am glad that the idol worship and the murderous entertainment at the Colosseum was stopped, torn down, dismantled. They did some terrible things there, crimes against humanity and against God!
In this painting titled “Idols fall” a statue of Julius Caesar has toppled and lays next to the ruins of other pedestals that are now empty and ruined. He is defeated, and he his crumbling face is forced to look up to the sky, his dictatorial finger that once demanded worship and allegiance, now points to heaven. The empty pedestals cast a shadow that forms the blood stained stripes of our flag.
Who will we choose to honor and worship now?
Please, pray for our nation, for leaders and influencers and decision makers, as they decide who we want to remember and who we want to be!
When I heard this I was angry because it is destruction of property, and anarchy, chaos and angry mobs are not a good thing! I thought about how these people should respect the past, - so we can learn from it. But that alone is not reason to keep the statue up, since I wouldn’t expect Germany to keep statues of Hitler up. (It isn’t a fair comparison, I know. )
I think about Bible times when the ancient world was filled with statues of the people’s pagan gods and goddesses. I think of when God told Gideon to tear down the Ashera pole and the statue of the god his father worshiped. I think of King Josiah who tore down the altars to pagan gods that were on the high places.
It made me sad to think that people want to tear down statues of Jesus, but then again, would Jesus, the God who said not to make graven images, have wanted a statue of himself, or of Mary?
Wasn’t the reformation all about the Catholics and protestants disagreeing over statues and worship of saints? (along with other things) Martin Luther never wanted a movement named after himself and I am pretty sure he wouldn’t have wanted a statue of himself! Protestants were protesters too… hence the name.
Pondering these physical statues, I realise that idols are falling down all around us here in America. Because of the pandemic, many things that our country and our world have come to worship have been stopped. Sports idols, movie stars, money, stock market, our jobs. We as a nation are re-evaluating our priorities, our heroes, our history.
My question is, what will we replace these idols with? Who will we choose to honor? Will we go back to being one nation who recognises that we are under God?
Hosea 14:8 “ O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green all your fruit comes from me.”
Maybe there are some things that we as individuals, and we as a nation, need to re-evaluate, about who and what we worship.
As I look at the ruins lining the streets of ancient cities, the Acropolis, the Greek Temples, the Colosseum, I don’t feel bad about their fallen nation. I am glad that the idol worship and the murderous entertainment at the Colosseum was stopped, torn down, dismantled. They did some terrible things there, crimes against humanity and against God!
In this painting titled “Idols fall” a statue of Julius Caesar has toppled and lays next to the ruins of other pedestals that are now empty and ruined. He is defeated, and he his crumbling face is forced to look up to the sky, his dictatorial finger that once demanded worship and allegiance, now points to heaven. The empty pedestals cast a shadow that forms the blood stained stripes of our flag.
Who will we choose to honor and worship now?
Please, pray for our nation, for leaders and influencers and decision makers, as they decide who we want to remember and who we want to be!
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