I rose a bit earlier than usual this morning which gave me the opportunity to pray the Office of Vigils from the St Bernard Breviary in the still and dark of a house at rest. The selection of Psalms for the day, 110-118, was rich, indeed. Among others, this passage stood out:

1 Not unto us, O Lᴏʀᴅ, not unto us, but unto your Name give the praise,*
for your loving mercy and for your truth’s sake.

2 Why shall the nations say, *
“Where now is their God?”

3 As for our God, he is in heaven; *
he has done whatsoever pleased him.

4 Their idols are silver and gold, *
even the work of human hands.

5 They have mouths, but they speak not; *
eyes have they, but they see not.

6 They have ears, but they hear not; *
noses have they, but they smell not.

7 They have hands, but they feel not; feet have they, but they walk not;*
neither is there any sound in their throat.

8 Those who make them are like them, *
and so are all who put their trust in them.

9 But you, O house of Israel, trust in the Lᴏʀᴅ; *
he is their helper and defender.

10 You house of Aaron, put your trust in the Lᴏʀᴅ; *
he is their helper and defender.

11 You who fear the Lᴏʀᴅ, put your trust in the Lᴏʀᴅ; *
he is their helper and defender (Ps115:1-11, BCP 2019, pp. 422-423).

Idols, the statues of silver and gold, are nothing at all, the work of human hands: mute, deaf, blind, impotent, immobile — useless. And here is the Psalmist’s solemn judgement: those who make them and those who worship them are like them — useless, nothing at all. There is a sober truth here: we become like that which we worship. Worship idols and lose those human powers and properties which you falsely attributed to the idols and hoped to gain in expansive measure from them.

St. Paul goes further in his assessment than did the Psalmist. In considering the issue of eating meat offered to idols and participating in the sacrifices, the Apostle writes:

19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he (1 Cor 10:19-22)?

Standing behind the nothing-at-all silver and gold idols are the demons, receiving the worship offered to the idols. Again comes the caution: we become like that which we worship — not just nothing-at-all, but less than human and, God forbid!, a partner with the demons.

The names of the idol-demons change throughout time and vary with cultures. In the Ancient Near East we read of Ashtoreth, Baal, Chemosh, Dagon, Milcom, and others. Jesus spoke of Mammon. The Greeks and the Romans had gods seemingly without number, even an unknown god just to cover all their bases. And, we have our own gods, those which have persisted across time and cultures: Mammon, Mars, Aphrodite, and Fama. We do not call them by those names, but the gods and the demons behind them are the same: Wealth, Power/Violence, Lust, and Fame (also Rumor and Gossip). Everyday we see them elevated and worshiped and — Lord, have mercy! —we are becoming like them. Obscene wealth is concentrated in the grasping hands of the few while the many are struggling to afford housing, health care and groceries: Mammon. Violence is common in our schools and on our streets and power/might is celebrated as the right standard of behavior: Mars. The pornography industry thrives and the powerful (Mars, again) sexually abuse the weak and innocent with apparent impunity: Aphrodite. The insatiable quest for fame and honor is on clear display at every level of society and is supported by rumor and gossip and mockery targeted against any who might vie for a share of the spotlight: Fama.

And again the biblical warning comes: we become like that which we worship — sub-human and finally nothing at all if we worship the gods who are no gods.

9 But you, O house of Israel, [you, O Church] trust in the Lᴏʀᴅ; *
he is their helper and defender.

10 You house of Aaron [you the Royal Priesthood of the baptized], put your trust in the Lᴏʀᴅ; *
he is their helper and defender.

11 You who fear the Lᴏʀᴅ, put your trust in the Lᴏʀᴅ; *
he is their helper and defender.