There was a recent report about a group of religious leaders gathering around a gigantic golden statue of Pres. Trump. In the photo with this thought, there seems to be a number of ultra-orthodox Jews in the mix, so this isn’t just something produced only by Evangelicals – this is something else entirely. And while it seems clear that this statue was not commissioned or created by the president, there is record of his calling the group and congratulating and thanking them. The response has been broad and vigorous, overwhelmingly in opposition to this giant rendering of Mr. Trump; but not entirely opposed to it. Some responses have been comparing it to statues of other leaders, which is almost fair – except for this. Statues are almost always erected post-mortem, in memory of great accomplishments. Others, however, are generally of tyrants that were created while they were in power. Some, like the one of Saddam Hussein, were torn down when they died.
Pastor Mark Burns, who seems to have spearheaded this kerfuffle, is astonished by the negative responses. On X he wrote, “What amazes me is how quickly some people have compared this beautiful statue, created and made possible by more than 6,000 patriots, to a golden calf or idol worship.” He goes on to defend his faith in Jesus Christ/God, claiming that this statue is about honoring the president. It’s about gratitude. It’s about patriotism. Which is part of the problem. This isn’t a problem created by this president – this is a problem with people who claim to believe in God yet act in ways that directly contradict those beliefs. Statues are memorials, not tributes. They are remembrances, not shout-outs. The erection of this statue might have gone unnoticed if it wasn’t so glaringly gold-colored, because any person of faith – and many who are not – would instantly make the connection to the creation of the golden calf in Exodus 32. You should read that chapter – it is horrifying, especially the response of Moses.
This monstrosity of a statue is a reminder that many people have no idea what serving God and humanity means. In my world, real people of faith wouldn’t be caught dead at this kind of ceremony. They would be spending their time helping people in need, not participating in this abusive act of performative religion. They would recognize that this is truly an act of idolatry meant to curry favor with a person, not with God. They would see it for what it is – a perversion of faith and an insult to the Almighty. People like Mr. Burns may wake up one day and realize just how disgusting their pandering has been. One can only hope. In the meantime, ignore the man behind the curtain.
Prayer – Merciful God, teach us all how the worship of idols can destroy our souls, and lead us not into temptation. Amen.