Slaves of Idols or Priests of God? (Wed. June 26)

The Word of the Day is "worship."  What is sin? What is so wrong in God's sight that it merits His judgment and wrath? Some might answer killing, stealing, sexual immorality, lying, and coveting. Others might say hate,  prejudice, and injustice. Others might answer sloth, lust, despair, and idle talk. But note what St. Paul says in our reading: of Romans 1:18-27, [They] exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. 

All People Are Called to Be Priests

The sins that deserve the judgment of God have to do with worship. They are not sins against our neighbor but sins against what is due to the Almighty and All-Holy God. Fr. Alexander Schmemann wrote that human beings are not, first of all, "homo sapiens" but "homo adorans."  We are made to worship and adore our Creator.   Thus, as Schmemann says, we are not just ordinary beings but created to be priests of the Most High. Our role in creation is to stand before God and "unify the world by blessing God as we receive the world from God and offer it back to Him" (Schmemann 1973, Chapter 2). 

The Worship of the Creature, Not the Creator

But, here is the tragedy of human existence. Fr. Schmemann says that humans gave up their calling as priests of the world to become slaves of the world (Schmemann 1973, Chapter 3). This slavery is reflected in today's reading, where St. Paul says that humans "worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator" (Romans  1:25). This means that instead of giving our highest esteem and reverence to the Creator, we direct these expressions of honor due to God towards the things of this world. This exchange is a primary sin because it distracts us from our true purpose of worshiping and serving the Creator. 

These words do not merely apply to those who make idols out of wood or stone. It applies to all who give their highest honor, esteem, and reverence to the things of this world. Whatever we worship--that is, whatever we hold in highest regard-- that is, what preoccupies and controls us. God is the only giver and sustainer of life.   And if we worship something else, we are possessed with what is not life but death. 

For Reflection

All sins have one fundamental source: humans worship and devote themselves to what is not the Holy and Almighty God, the Creator. This can manifest in many "idols" of prestige, wealth, power, pleasure, or luxury. When we worship these false gods, we become their servants. But thanks be to God that our human nature has been restored to its true calling in Christ. In Him, we are part of the "royal priesthood " that "proclaims the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). Today, may we realize our calling to be priests who worship the Holy Trinity in "spirit and truth." 

Works Cited

Schmemann, Alexander. 1973. For the life of the World Kindle ed. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.