J.R. Briggs

Regional Idolatry

September 28, 2009

• Tweet

American Idol is one of the top shows in the country. Regardless if you like the show, it’s a strikingly poignant title. It does just that: it brilliantly produces (seemingly) innocent idols for our American culture to worship – normally measured by its air time, CD sales, iTunes downloads and appearances on talk shows and magazine covers.

America, like every culture on earth, is full of idols. Our hearts gravitate towards idols. In fact, John Calvin said that our hearts are idol factories.

About four years ago, Megan and I visited friends who were serving in Thailand. We visited wats (temples) that held hundreds of ornate and expensive gold idols and images. I felt like it was something right out of the Old Testament. But idols are not always that easy to identify like they are in places of the world like Southeast Asia.

Idols, no matter how expensive or cheap they may be, can come in various shapes and forms. Of course, they don’t have to be wooden images on altars, but they certainly can involve monthly payments, down payments and mortgage payments. Idols can have beautiful hair or contain four wheels or be something on your finger or be a framed piece of paper above your desk – or can be asleep in a crib in the next room.

But they can also be invisible: reputation, your job, a perception you wish to project onto others, etc. Idols are things (material or immaterial) that eclipse, distract from or communicate that something is a higher priority and has more worth than God himself. Even good things can be idols if they are taken too far (family, ministry, etc). Idols often creep in our hearts very subtly – and over a long period of time. Nobody wakes up one day and thinks, “Today I am going to worship ______.” But whatever is on the throne of our hearts, we are told that if its not God we will be disappointed. If we haven’t been disappointed with a specific idol, it’s only a matter of time before we will be.

So how do we identify idols in our own life? I’m convinced that the best indicator is to ask, “Besides basic needs (food, water, shelter) what do I believe I could not go without?” The answer to that question can often usher us (somewhat uncomfortably) to the front step of our idolatry.

Jesus identified people’ idols (the religiosity of the Pharisees and the affluence and security of the Rich Young Ruler) and called people to turn from them to the only thing that would bring them fulfillment: a life with Jesus.

Paul identified the idols on Mars Hill in Acts 17 – calling people to acknowledge a god that is actually known and can be known personally: The Creator of the universe. Followers of Jesus and Christian leaders are called to the courageous work of identifying and exposing cultural idols and calling people to a different way to live. And when you call people on what their heart is worshiping and communicating that those idols are worthless it gets you into a lot of trouble (see Jesus and Paul).

As my wife and I have lived in various parts of the country – and visited others – I’ve sought to exegete the culture and their regional differences. I’ve noticed that while we all have individual pulls towards idols that seem more appealing than others (for example, I will constantly battle the idol of security/certainty, but I will never have trouble with video games becoming an idol in my life) the same is true for regions and sub-cultures in the U.S.

These are broad generalizations, but I think I’ve been able to identify a few of the regional idols around the U.S.:

• I grew up in Charlottesville, VA, a beautiful and culturally rich university town (the University of Virginia) with many respectable, important, intelligent and well-to-do people. The area gravitates toward worshiping (higher) education and affluence.
• Colorado Springs gravitates toward worshiping superstar pastors and mega-ministries.
• The state of Colorado (both geographic and mental) and much of the West gravitate toward the idols of experience and nature.
• The Northwest gravitates toward the idols of independence and originality.
• New York City (and most of the Northeast) gravitates toward worshiping consumerism, capitalism, careerism and materialism.
• Boston and New England gravitate toward worshiping family heritage and lineage.
• Southern California gravitates toward worshiping entertainment, fame, beauty and living “the good life.”
• Washington DC gravitates towards worshiping political power and authority.
• The South gravitates toward worshiping morality and tradition – even (especially?) church tradition.
• The Midwest gravitates toward stability and security.

The area in which I currently live and serve (both the greater Philadelphia region and the smaller, more focused area of the North Penn region) struggles with idols as well – whether people realize them or not. I’ve identified four specific forms of idolatry that I’ve observed in our local context:

1. Family: “I will follow God as long as it doesn’t disrupt our family plans or traditions.”
2. Tradition: “But we’ve always done it that way before…”
3. A reasonable, safe and respectable religiosity: I’ve heard people say on more than one occasion, “A little bit of religion is always good for us, right?”
4. The Philadelphia Eagles: I am a sports fan – and a football fan – but I wish I were speaking metaphorically here. Unfortunately, I’m not. If the Eagles win on Sunday, the mood of the entire region is noticeably happier. If they lose, many are miserable at the start of the week. Again, I wish I were kidding. And if anything interrupts the Eagles schedule people are upset. When I led the Sunday night ministry in our former church we would look at the schedule months in advance and note the start of kick off and could predict (with incredible precision) a dip in attendance.

Again, the four above can be good things (family, rhythms/heritage, religion and sports) but become corrosive to the soul when they take high prominence and priority in our lives and in our schedules.

I’d love to hear from you:

• Tell me where you live – and what idols you think your region gravitates towards worshiping.
• If you live in the Philadelphia region, do you disagree with these four idols? Are there other idols that should be on the list?

Posted in: Uncategorized