“When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have come down to us in human form!’" (Acts 14:11). This verse from today’s reading in Acts should sound familiar to us because it has been repeated over and over again in human history. We have become very adept at venerating other humans: athletes, musicians, politicians, entertainers, artists, TV personalities, authors. We collect autographs and pour over pictures of prominent people. We also absorb gossip and rumors about famous men and women. And though we would rather not admit it, much of this behavior echoes the words of the Lycaonians, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” We can become star struck and allow this condition to guide the way we live.
The problem is that when we allow ourselves to be distracted by the nature of celebrity it also means that we have taken our eyes off of the one God. Fame can be enticing, it can seduce us, and it can blind us to the reality of God’s presence in the world. But only God is Sovereign over all creation, and only God, the God, can truly address our lives with both judgment and grace. Movie stars may provide us with entertainment, musicians and authors may fill our lives with insight and texture, athletes may inspire us, but none of these are worthy of our praise the way God is. And while this is all seems so obvious, just reflect on how often we allow ourselves to be caught up in what amounts to idol worship at the expense of our attention to God’s will in our lives.
Enjoying the works of others, appreciating their efforts, following their achievements is all very appropriate. But once we take our focus off of God in order to be more attentive to mere humans we have fallen into the same trap that nearly snared the Lycaonians. Only God is God, and only God deserves to be worshiped.
Prayer: Lord, help us to remain focused on you in all we do so that we may live lives of justice and truth according to your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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