Really, the title should be the many golden calves of my life. Without reviewing the entire Exodus saga once again, we'll just settle for up to this point they had every reason to stick with Moses and continue to have faith in God.
They did not. Moses is gone for the oh-so-symbolic 40 days and 40 nights, and immediately they forget that God has killed a whole mountain of Egyptians on their behalf, has split a sea in two so they could pass through, fed them manna, sent quails for them to catch and eat, gave them water where there had been no water, etc., and what do they do? They build a golden calf.
It is very easy to condemn those stupid ancient Israelites for having the brains of a peanut, until you consider those stupid ancient Israelites with the brains of a peanut reflect all too well -- us! Us as in, you and me. Heck, I don't need forty days to get fed up and turn aside, if I'm not really careful. The only way I stay "really careful" is to say the LOTH faithfully, or I will completely forget the God who saves me and exchange God for just about anything else that is glittery and distracting.
I keep trying to tell people "if you don't say the prayers how can you even pretend to remember God?" Some people have more interesting excuses than others, but bottom line is, they can't be bothered to say the prayers and thus keep themselves safe from the golden calf waiting around the corner. I don't mean to create some Monty Python image of a golden calf chasing Christians who don't say their prayers, all over town, but if it works ....
If I skip one of the Hours, it is almost certain that I'm going to find me a nice gold calf for the day. If I skip an entire day, then that calf becomes a COW and then it's so much harder to crack open that prayer book and say what needs saying. Some ask, "why do I need to recite prayers out of a book?" Well, because if you don't, chances are you won't bother at all with prayer. Of course, when you need something you'll be busy praying, but by then you might as well ask your golden cow for some help, because you will have forgotten the God who made you, kept you, and continues to keep you even if you "just remember God in the silence," or "I call God up in my mind."
What? God has a telephone number? Actually, yes, it's called Vigils, Lauds, Terce, Sect, None, Vespers and Compline. At the minimum you can do Lauds and Vespers. And babe, I do mean the minimum. So perhaps I should ask myself, you and everyone else, is God worth all that trouble? Or should I just give it to my golden cow?
1 comments:
Steve,
It is easy to fall into the ways of the Israelites and forget God. Thankfully, the LOTH does provide a good way to keep us mindful of the triune God and all that He has done. Hour by hour, day by day, time is sanctified as we stop what we're doing and pray.
Pax.
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