You shall worship God alone...
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You shall worship God alone and serve God only. How easy that is to say! How hard to do! What a constant temptation to worship and serve other "gods!"
The temptation was not new with Jesus. Nor is it new with us. The temptation is surely as old as creation. But, never was the temptation so fraught with danger as today. I am referring to the way in which nations have continued to make substitute "gods" out of destructive weapons. I am thinking of the fact that so many persons and governments are investing their resources and trust in war machines to bring them security. I am pointing to the disdain with which many of our national leaders are treating arms talks and treaties and the enthusiasm with which many of the same leaders are ready to invest in exotic and frightening new space weapons systems. (e.g. "Star Wars") Perhaps most shocking has been the president's recent apparently sincere but shockingly inappropriate attempt to quote Scripture to support his plans for massive military budgets. The president was using "extra-gesis" rather than exegesis when he misused Luke 14:31-32 to justify his defense budget. The point of the parable about a king who counts the costs before going to war is prudence, not power.
To put so much trust in weapons as the chief means to peace is idolatry. But to quote the Prince of Peace in support of war machines is idolatry in it blindest and most distorted form.
The temptation was not new with Jesus. Nor is it new with us. The temptation is surely as old as creation. But, never was the temptation so fraught with danger as today. I am referring to the way in which nations have continued to make substitute "gods" out of destructive weapons. I am thinking of the fact that so many persons and governments are investing their resources and trust in war machines to bring them security. I am pointing to the disdain with which many of our national leaders are treating arms talks and treaties and the enthusiasm with which many of the same leaders are ready to invest in exotic and frightening new space weapons systems. (e.g. "Star Wars") Perhaps most shocking has been the president's recent apparently sincere but shockingly inappropriate attempt to quote Scripture to support his plans for massive military budgets. The president was using "extra-gesis" rather than exegesis when he misused Luke 14:31-32 to justify his defense budget. The point of the parable about a king who counts the costs before going to war is prudence, not power.
To put so much trust in weapons as the chief means to peace is idolatry. But to quote the Prince of Peace in support of war machines is idolatry in it blindest and most distorted form.
