The clouds were billowing up above. The sun was peeking through with its rays streaking painted segments on the grass below. Later that day, the light would fade and darkness would creep into night as the bright lit stars displayed their majesty across the southern sky. Oftentimes, the beauty of the day would overwhelm whatever it was that was prepared for the trials that brought anxiety and frustration, yet it never went unnoticed. Nature was magnificent and it would be a crime not to share it, even a glimpse of it, even if it be shared in solace. What else could replace what had been experienced that day? What idols beckon the call for substituting that glorious day? Perhaps, vanity has its layers of splendor? Imagine how powerful by experiencing one’s own excessive delight or admiration in appearance or achievement, one could be enticed by emotional non-ending bliss which could cover a multitude of moments in time. Perhaps, pride might be a plate that best be served with vanity as it glorifies the one with deep pleasure for its own possessions or one’s own insatiable qualities. Still, idolatry may be more suitable as it fulfills the heart’s desires to crave, want, enjoy, love or be satisfied by anything or anyone that one treasures more than God. Money seems to be near the top of things worshipped, wouldn’t you agree? Money begets things and things beget power, and power, begets worship. Perhaps, national security, government, country has a lust that cannot be satisfied as one is willing to die for even if the ideals are corrupted by self-aggrandizement and control. Sports. There is a clear obsession in the world for all forms of sports and favorite people or teams where the pastime becomes the only time. These are but a few of the “alternatives” that are praised, worshipped, and glorified. By the way, nature, as well, can be an object of one’s worship!
Why do we worship? And, what or whom is it that we worship, and why? Is it just possible that we can’t see the forest through the trees? Are we so limited by our senses that we could not grasp or conceive of something much greater than ourselves or the universe at large? Is this the best that our minds, our emotions, and desires can come up with? From the beginning of humankind up until present day, this is the very best that humanity can worship? Ourselves? Someone else? A loved one? A dog, a cat? Seemingly, are we limited by our own imagination or is the truth of what or whom we worship all there is to life? Could we possibly postulate that there may be something greater than ourselves, something greater than the universe, something greater than creation? No matter how intelligent, intellectually or emotionally, one is, are we the greatest possible thought imaginable that would be the object of our worship? This is not something new. Anselm, in the 12th century, posited the ontological argument concerning the greatest possible being we could ever imagine as being God. Still, it is troubling that there are many great thinkers and philosophers over the span of humanity who have denied the existence of God as the single most important being of our worship, and why? Well, because it’s easier to love the creation rather than to believe in a Creator. For those who have not had the curiosity to see the images from the Hubble telescope showing humanity the vast immensity of the universe, one could deduce that it all just came about by random chance, multiverses, string theory or such. Sure, Stephen Hawking could have been correct. One question though, and this is yet to be proven (including the Higgs boson particle), nothing comes from nothing; there’s always a cause. Consider the Kalam Cosmological argument: 1) Whatever begins to exist has a cause, 2) the universe began to exist, therefore, 3) the universe has a cause (William Lane Craig in his book, The Kalam Cosmological Argument, 1979). Sure, there are many other arguments for the existence of God, but the primary point to be made is: what or whom is the object of your worship, and why?
It seems that we may be children of a lesser god. If the object of worship happens to be creation or something in it because this is all there is, is the bar set too low? How many sports or sport’s figures can one idolize? What about movies or actors, music or singers? What about persons in history, power figures, religious leaders, and despots? How much jewelry and Botox are enough? What is the best shape, how fit does one need to be, how much food, and what type, is enough? How many guns, how many cars, how many houses, boats, islands will consume your desires of worship? Is power the ultimate “holy grail?” When is creation enough? Or perhaps, it’s not things had, but those things longed for. Does that beget jealousy, envy, rage, or even murder for the sake of worship? When does one rest on worship, if at all? Is there always something around the corner that is bigger, better, stronger, sexier, worthier of worship? Then, there’s a finality to worship, isn’t there? All those things or people you’ve worshipped all your life eventually fade away. People die. Empires die. Eventually, the planet will die as well. And then what? At best, it’s a limited worship and the scope of the worship is limited as well. Some would say, who cares? While here on the “rock,” one can do whatever they want and drift off into the sunset without a care in the world. Some leave a stamp on the planet, their contribution which will help those in future generations, like Einstein, Plato, or Da Vinci. But, should they be worshipped? What about your children, your grandchildren, your spouse; are they worthy of worship because of love? What is the end game of worship? Is it just because one decided and that’s it? Can there be something or someone that truly is worthy of worship because He transcends His own creation? Would it be possible to worship God even though in order to do so, one would have to let go of their idols of worship? Sure, there are many religions and many gods to worship. How can one know which one is the real God to worship? Are all religions the same? Is one worshipping a religion or is one worshipping a Person? In Christianity, the answer is simple: Jesus. Why? Well, Jesus claimed to be God. He proved it by dying on a cross, three days later, being resurrected from the grave. Sure, it could be a falsehood. But if it’s true, wouldn’t you want to worship Him? See, eternity is a long time, far longer than the time any of us have been on Earth. Eternity is far longer than the age of the universe (it’s expanding by the second law of thermodynamics; eventually it’ll die as well). One could consider that once dead, one ceases to exist and who cares about eternity. So be it, but would you be willing to bet your life on it?