STEP OUTSIDE

Ancient pagan societies worshiped the sun because they realized the sun’s importance to their survival. In fact, because many early civilizations were agricultural they depended on the sunny whether as their primary food source. Through natural human logic they reasoned they had to worship something that was more powerful than them. In other words, they realized they could not survive without the sun therefore it served as a higher entity that deserved higher recognition.

Even as time passed and cultures evolved there was still this same concept that the ancient pagans had but it manifested differently: ancient mythology, the feudal system, the great chain of being, kings, and popes, etcetera. The overarching theme is, because you are bigger and more powerful, I depend on you and I will worship you.

Our 21st century way of living has become so self-centric and self-dependent that we have rebelled against the recognition of any power bigger or greater than our self. Though, we still use the same sun, as the ancient pagans, we now think that it is all about us and therefore we have no obligation to give merit or appreciation to it for our survival. Our position of dependency hasn’t changed but our reaction to this reality has. Modern day citizens worship an even smaller god now than the sun, they worship themselves. We have relied on our knowledge and enlightened minds to carry us to the place of deity. Instead of critically identifying our dependency upon these greater powers, we’ve rationalize them away and reasoned that they are in place only for our own satisfaction.

It amazes me how humans can be surrounded by a complex and powerful creation whether huge brawny trees, ferocious waves, shooting stars, or category 5 hurricanes and yet still dedicate most of our time to worrying about minute things that get us nowhere in life. Instead, I think, we should be completely amazed at creation, its immensity and our dependency to it. Moreover, today, we have reduced the grandeur of life into a small self-absorbed reality that pertains to nothing outside of our work schedule, family, or church.

How foolish!

The sun keeps everyone warm and gives every living thing energy or life as we know it. It displays a picturesque array of colors in the sky when combined with our atmosphere. Approximately one million earths can fit inside of the sun. According to Mike Rushford, “4.5 pounds of sunlight hits the earth each second.” Our sun is only a medium size star, yet it is about 109 times wider than the earth!

Many people go about the course of the evening with only a small recognition of the sun’s importance to their survival and its vast actuality. We’d much rather meditate on things in our sphere of control like: chores, hunger, relational acceptance, entertainment, and overall pleasure, then be grateful in the trust and grace of something much bigger than us.

Imagine fighting a star. You would disintegrate within 180 million Km, let alone up close and personal. Our selfish mindset provides a perfect façade for fear and worry to entrap us. We live in a selfish reality that doesn’t line up with what is really happening around us. Yes, we might be able to out think a sun but believe me a sun is more powerful than what I will ever be. When we serve our self and don’t give appreciation to the greater things that give us survival, we are endowed to live in fear, constant worry, and denial.

I don’t encourage anyone to worship creation, like James Cameron's award winning movie Avatar insinuates, because we know that a star, a tree, and creation in general can be beautiful and powerful but in reality, it can’t hear or appreciate our praise, even if we gave it. Creation, at times, might have more power but it’s not like it chooses to prolong our life! No, there is one greater who controls and who created these gigantic entities. He wants our worship. He wants us to live in peace and trust in Him. His name is Jesus Christ, and he came to restore us to our right mind.

Back up, get out of this weird mentality that life is all about you and embrace the high probability that there is a God that loves you and has created these huge powerful and beautiful things to save you from living a purposeless life of living only for yourself. Those of you who know YHWH yet still live in this false reality of self-idolatry; wake up, because even pagans worship an unknown sun-god. Why do you still not entrust your life to the LORD of Life? Who are you in comparison to the Son?