As a child, I loved dolls. I eyed them on a high shelf at a country grocery store. I ran my hand over catalog pages that showed my favorites—baby dolls. I was ecstatic the year I received a doll that drank and wet her diaper. Oh, the heavenly smell of talcum powder on her rubbery skin.
As I grew up, I yearned for dolls of my own. I wondered if I’d marry and be blessed with children. Fortunately, I was. And, of course, nothing compares to the love I felt for my real live babies, the joy from the smell of talcum powder on soft cuddly bodies.
You might say I idolized dolls. And sometimes, even as adults, we idolize bright shiny things. We frown on Aaron who built the golden calf soon after the Israelites were given the 10 commandments (Exodus 32:4). We can’t understand why the mother of Micah made a silver idol for her son (Judges 17:3). What did these people not understand when God said, “You shall not make for yourself an idol . . . “ (Exodus 20:4 NIV)?
But are we any different? Oh, we don’t mold images from silver or gold, but we let other things come between us and God. And is that not what an idol does? It takes the place of God in our lives. It demands our attention, our focus. It distracts us.
Where is our attention as we approach Easter? On the idols (let’s call them problems) . . . or on the blessings?
The Problem: I’ve noticed that Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services are sometimes sparsely attended. Why is that? Perhaps it’s not convenient. It interrupts our routines. Families with young children may not want to keep them up for an evening service, and I understand that. But I wonder how often we “idolize” our free time.
The Problem: When I was young, we bought new clothes—dresses, hats, shoes—for Easter. Now I must say, that spoke to me of the desire to come to God in our Sunday best on this special day. And I still “dress up” for church. But just like eating Easter candy before Easter dinner keeps us from enjoying a nutritious meal, so concentrating on the trappings of Easter may prevent us from appreciating the real reason for the season—Christ’s resurrection. Let’s not let the Easter baskets, the vacation time, the family gatherings distract us.
The Blessing: Let’s view Easter as a way to witness to our faith. Let’s give inspirational books as gifts. Let’s put candy crosses in the Easter baskets. Let’s pray before that meal, thanking God that because of His resurrection we someday can all be together with Him in heaven.
One Final Problem: Churches often decline in attendance once Easter is over. If it’s important to worship in Easter, it’s important to worship every Sunday. After all, we enjoy God’s blessings and care day all year long. It’s only right to acknowledge His Lordship one day of the week. COVID is ending (we hope). Let’s not idolize the comfort of viewing church from our couch or skipping services altogether because no one will know.
The Blessing: When we worship together, we get to interact with the Body of Christ, our fellow Christians. In Sunday school and Bible studies we hear of their victories . . . and defeats. We share joys . . . and sorrows. We celebrate and rejoice . . . and support one another. Online services are a poor substitute for rubbing shoulders.
Like real live babies, our relationship with our Real Live God needs to be nurtured. See you in church on Easter Sunday to celebrate His resurrection together. And the Sunday after too.
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