May 2017 - davidherin.org

LIE: Silence is boring

Lie: Silence is boring.
Truth: Without silence, we cannot listen, think or pray.

It used to be that silence was golden but it’s now been morphed into radioactive plutonium. We avoid silence like the plague (I know, too many metaphors). Ever since Sony invented the transistor radio in 1960, and therefore the portability of personal sound, the perceived value of silence has dramatically diminished. The phonograph, radio, then television increased the presence of manufactured sound and made it nearly omnipresent. But we still experienced sound aloud — the sound was external to our ears. Then the Sony Walkman, the iPod and finally the smartphone put sound under our personal control and internalized it. Over time, the price of internal sound declined and improved until we now have our own inner concert arena.

LIE: Idolatry is rare, part 2

In part 1, we learned how idolatry works and what makes it so insidious. In this part we’ll look at what idols actually look like and ask the question, what are the idols that tempt us today? What form do they take and how do we actually worship them? Let’s take some common examples; this list is by no means exhaustive.

Your house – Images of ideal homes are everywhere . . .

LIE: Idolatry is rare, part 1

Lie: Idolatry is rare.
Truth: Idolatry is common.

When the God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, he meant for each to serve as a foundation stone in the building of his people. No word was wasted. It was a revelation beyond anything men could have dreamed up and it began – at least to our ears – very strangely: “You shall have no other gods before me.” and then right on it heals, the second command: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image.” This second commandment conjures up images (!) of ancient robed figures bowing before huge stone statues. But does this still go on? Or is it an anachronism? Did God overemphasize the importance of idolatry? or is it a timeless and fundamental temptation?

LIE: The goal in life is to be a good Christian

Lie: The goal in life is to be a good Christian.
Truth: The goal in life is to glorify God.

This is an especially pernicious lie, mainly because it sounds so holy and good. What could possibly be wrong with wanting to be a good Christian? Are we to be a bad Christian? No, actually we are to be ‘good Christians,’ but the problem lies with the first part of the statement: ‘the goal in life is . . .’ This sets up the orientation of our entire life. So rephrasing the lie then: the orientation of our life is to focus on becoming a good Christian. That should give you a clue to its fatal error.
The main problem with this lie is that . . .