Shadreck Chikoti
The worship of idols may seem distant to us, but it is a complex and nuanced concept that extends beyond the traditional understanding of idolatry as simply worshiping physical statues or objects. In essence, an idol is anything that replaces or rivals God in our lives, receiving undue emphasis, reverence, or sacredness. Idols can take many forms, from man-made objects like statues, images, or relics attributed with sacred or divine powers, to symbols of authority such as special clothing or attire. Even roles like pastor, reverend, or other positions of spiritual authority can become idols when they are idolized or considered more important than God Himself.
Sometimes, idolatry manifests in subtle ways. For instance, when university students wear clothes resembling a nun’s habit and people react with outrage, claiming they have violated religion and holiness, it might reveal an idolatrous attachment to certain symbols or attire. We are attributing reverence to those man-made uniforms in the same way we ought to revere God. We are attaching the holiness of God to those clothes as if they are God Himself. There must be a reason why they stripped Christ of His clothes and divided them among themselves. Perhaps God was saying, “These are just clothes; the real deal is the One on the cross—that’s your God. Don’t make these clothes deities. That man dying there is the One who truly matters. He was made in heaven, while these clothes you share are man-made.” Similarly, when someone wears a pastor’s white collar in a playful or irreverent manner, and others become angry, it shows that the collar has taken on a sacred significance that rivals God.
In both cases, the emphasis on human-made symbols or attire has become disproportionate, bordering on idolatry. There is a need for self-reflection and a reevaluation of our priorities, ensuring that God remains the central focus of our worship and reverence. Statues, symbols, regalia, and all other artifacts must serve to point us to God, to remind us of God, and to invoke in us a yearning for Him. They must not become God themselves.
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