Borobudur

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to see the sunrise from the top of one of Indonesia's ancient temples, Borobudur. The 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple, located in Central Java, is Indonesia's most visited tourist attraction. As I wandered around Borobudur's walkways, I was amazed at the intricate wall carvings. I realized this temple had been a place of worship for an untold number of people. A place of pilgrimage and spiritual significance. Being a polytheistic religion, Buddhists worship numerous gods. Looking at the 500+ Buddha statues on Borobudur, I thought how difficult it must be to have so many gods. I found myself thankful I worship only one god . . . or do I?

This last January I started reading Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone, by Elyse Fitzpatrick. Since reading this book I have learned my heart is not as devoted as I would like to think. The greatest command in Scripture, according to Christ, is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" Matthew 22:37. That is to love God with every single part of your being: thought, affection, and will. This is the action for keeping the first commandment given to the Israelites, "You shall have no other gods before me" Exodus 20:3.

Certainly, I do not have carvings on the side of  my apartment building. There are no lions guarding my door or headless Buddha's sitting on my coffee table. So what do my gods look like? How do I know what they are? Fitzpatrick describes a god as something which we believe will: 

• bring us happiness or joy
• calm our fears
• make life meaningful 
• bring desired benefits

"Idols are the thoughts, desires, longings, and expectations that we worship in place of the true God"(Fitzpatrick, 23). What do I think I must have to be happy? What does life seem unbearable without? What do I think will bring life purpose or meaning? What do I fear losing or never having? These questions challenge me. Taking a closer look into my heart, I realize there are so many idols that reside there. In fact, I don't think I can go a day, even an hour without one of them popping up. If the first commandment was the only commandment that existed, if that was the only thing I ever had to keep, I'm doomed. It doesn't matter how hard I try, I consistently and continually fail to follow that one single command. Even when my actions appear good, I find idols lurking in the motivations of my heart. 

These gods, or idols, I worship are not physical and therefore difficult to identify. Like the worn stairs at Borobudur reveal the path taken by worshipers, my sinful habits reveal the trodden path to my idols.  "The worship of idols is the reason we're discontented, and it's why we disobey God" (Fitzpatrick, 27). There is a reason why the first commandment was to have no other gods. If God is first, if we truly love Him our whole being, then everything else falls into place. "This is love for God: to obey his commands" 1 John 5:3. It is through my sin that my idols are revealed. 

So I find myself no better than the Buddhist making a pilgrimage to the top of Borobudur. My gods, the things I worship, are real and numerous. Yet, I am with hope. James says God yearns jealously over the spirit he has made to dwell in me (James 4:5). God wants me to love him and he knew I would never be able to do this completely with all my being because of my sin nature. Therefore he sent his son, Christ Jesus, to pay the penalty for my failure to keep the first commandment. I am no longer condemned (Romans 8:1-4). Thus, I will follow James' advice: 

"Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your  hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up." James 4:7-10

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