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Monday, July 13, 2020 - Monday Devotional from Pastor John

July 13, 2020 by Rev. John Hartman

“Honoring or Idolizing?”

Yesterday was another beautiful day for worship at Chestnut Level, both at our 8:00 and 10:00 A.M. services. It is so good to see folks gathering as the people of God in prayer and in song (and via Zoom). It still feels a bit awkward and different than it did a few months ago before all of the Covid-19 restrictions. I don’t profess to always get it right 100% of the time, but hopefully, we are all growing and learning together as we move forward with one another.

As I am continuing my sermon series on the 10 Commandments throughout these next 2 months, yesterday, we looked at the second, which was, “no idols,” or as it said in the old King James Version of the Bible, “no graven images.”

I didn’t get into this in the sermon yesterday, but it got me to thinking about the recent toppling of some of the monuments in our nation. Now I understand that in most of these cases, we are simply recognizing the achievements and accomplishments of these historical figures, and to “idolize” any of them would be inappropriate. And in my humble opinion, some of them probably do need to be taken down, because of what they represent, the pain they cause, and wounds that still exist. However, as my good friend, John Minihan, stated recently, some monuments like Ulysses S. Grant, deserve better than to be attacked and vandalized by angry mobs out to cause mayhem.

Grant was our 18^th President and commanding General of the victorious Union Army which fought to abolish slavery and preserve the nation. I think there might be some folks who missed a few classes in high school or college on the Civil War, and haven’t bothered to pick up a book, because they might feel differently is they actually took the time to study. That doesn’t mean that Ulysses S. Grant was perfect. Far from it! He was a flawed, fallible human being, which makes him no different than the rest of us! But, if the criteria of honoring our heroes includes that they must be perfect, then we will be a “monument-less” nation, because there will be no heroes left. Every monument or memorial will have to be stripped, toppled, taken down, and removed because no one can stand the scrutiny of perfection. No one, that is, except Jesus Christ. Only Jesus is perfect. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:15-16).

So, let’s honor, but not idolize those figures woven into the fabric of America, warts and all, and celebrate all of what they accomplished as God used them in spite of all their shortcomings. And then, let’s celebrate the only one who can get us through these times of unrest. And let us pray for that perfect peace that can only be found in him, -- Jesus Christ – the Prince of Peace.