Monuments of Men
Late in the summer, statue fever swept the country. The initial object of objection was a statue of Robert E. Lee in Virginia. This sparked protests and a death in Charlottesville, VA. We quickly began arguing over the alt-right, the alleged alt-left (I prefer the term "radical left), statues, and much more. The president asked, "where does it end?" Quickly the slippery slope argument took hold. Okay, maybe General Lee should come down, or at least be moved, but then what about other statues? To his credit, President Trump had a point. We've seen objections to statues of Christopher Columbus and Thomas Jefferson, and I'm sure more will come.
I have my opinion about removing and relocating statues, but that's not why I am writing. It mostly serves as a back drop. What question I want to answer is this: What should a Christian's response to statues be?
Statues are physical representations of someone or some events from the past. They memorialize someone or something. They symbolize and honor achievements. At face level, this does not seem like a big deal. Except...
What are we memorializing? What are we symbolizing? What are we honoring?
While in the wilderness, even as Moses was with God, the Israelites created a golden calf to worship. For whatever the reason, the God who led them out of bondage was not enough. They needed something physical to worship. They needed to hold and see something to honor, even if it was just a lump of gold formed into the image of something else created. How messed up is that? Instead of worshiping the Creator, they created something to worship. Instead of looking up, they looked down. Instead of honoring something greater than themselves, they honored something lesser than themselves.
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them." (Deuteronomy 5:8-9)
If we are willing to name-call and darn near fight someone over their desire to tear down a carved image of an earthly being, isn't that essentially bowing down to said carved image? Isn't that serving the existence of the statue?
Or consider the Asherah poles. The first time we read of them is in Exodus 34:13 when God instructs the Israelites to cut them all down. Yet like a never ending game of whack-a-mole, they kept popping up. Occasionally someone like Gideon or Josiah would raise the mallet and take some whacks, yet they kept coming back, and it brought God's judgment.
No, a statue of a 200 year-old general is not the same as a pagan fertility god. Nor is a 500 year old explorer. Comparing our statues to Asherah poles and golden calves are not apple to apple comparisons. Yet, when we compare apples to oranges, we can still make a comparison. Both are food. Both grow on trees. Both are grown in America. Both are fruit. My point is that although it might not be a direct comparison, there are analogous. It is worth our time to consider God's warnings against idols and how we treat and revere our statues.
In all of these calls to destroy statues, I find myself disagreeing with the logic, motivations, and emotions to do so. Yet, should I care? As a Christian, why should I care what is done with a lump of stone? What is it to me?
I worship a God greater than stone.
I am not saying statues are always idols. However, if we are having such visceral reactions to their removal, then we have made them such ourselves.
I have my opinion about removing and relocating statues, but that's not why I am writing. It mostly serves as a back drop. What question I want to answer is this: What should a Christian's response to statues be?
Statues are physical representations of someone or some events from the past. They memorialize someone or something. They symbolize and honor achievements. At face level, this does not seem like a big deal. Except...
What are we memorializing? What are we symbolizing? What are we honoring?
While in the wilderness, even as Moses was with God, the Israelites created a golden calf to worship. For whatever the reason, the God who led them out of bondage was not enough. They needed something physical to worship. They needed to hold and see something to honor, even if it was just a lump of gold formed into the image of something else created. How messed up is that? Instead of worshiping the Creator, they created something to worship. Instead of looking up, they looked down. Instead of honoring something greater than themselves, they honored something lesser than themselves.
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them." (Deuteronomy 5:8-9)
If we are willing to name-call and darn near fight someone over their desire to tear down a carved image of an earthly being, isn't that essentially bowing down to said carved image? Isn't that serving the existence of the statue?
Or consider the Asherah poles. The first time we read of them is in Exodus 34:13 when God instructs the Israelites to cut them all down. Yet like a never ending game of whack-a-mole, they kept popping up. Occasionally someone like Gideon or Josiah would raise the mallet and take some whacks, yet they kept coming back, and it brought God's judgment.
No, a statue of a 200 year-old general is not the same as a pagan fertility god. Nor is a 500 year old explorer. Comparing our statues to Asherah poles and golden calves are not apple to apple comparisons. Yet, when we compare apples to oranges, we can still make a comparison. Both are food. Both grow on trees. Both are grown in America. Both are fruit. My point is that although it might not be a direct comparison, there are analogous. It is worth our time to consider God's warnings against idols and how we treat and revere our statues.
In all of these calls to destroy statues, I find myself disagreeing with the logic, motivations, and emotions to do so. Yet, should I care? As a Christian, why should I care what is done with a lump of stone? What is it to me?
I worship a God greater than stone.
I am not saying statues are always idols. However, if we are having such visceral reactions to their removal, then we have made them such ourselves.
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