Gimme a break, God: Faith and frustration in a world of golden calves
Commentary by Paul Graves | FāVS News
I’m really sorry, God, but my tolerance for religious claptrap has reached its limits. So I need to vent. Since I always say you are as close as my breath, I choose you as my venting target!
After the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, a July 17 newspaper article had a predictable headline: “Trump faithful say God is on his side.” An understandable reaction for too many people.
The article shows your name being jerked back and forth between people who have decided Trump is like the “Golden Calf” of Exodus fame. One person even said: “God protect Our GEOTUS – the acronym for ‘God-Emperor of the United States.’”
Singer Lee Greenwood said God had saved Trump’s life so he could be the next president. Some illustrations have shown the Holy Ghost deflecting the bullet. Need I go on, God?
I’m very relieved that the assassination attempt failed on July 13! Yet, I can’t chalk that up to you singling out Trump for protection. Some theologically-wise friends of mine suggest you aren’t really in the protection business. I agree.
Still, I’m also very distressed that those who decided you are on Trump’s side – because he was spared being murdered – seem to forget this: another man was killed by the shooter when he tried to protect his family. You are with his family because the bullet did not miss him. I don’t say that flippantly.
While I can’t understand why “bad things happen to good people,” I’m confident that the compassion shown by Jesus comes from a divinely-inspired urge to suffer with others when tragedy is unavoidable. Toxic religion and politics quite beside the point!
Biblical misunderstandings will always plague us
Going back to the golden calf story, let’s talk about biblical misunderstandings. Many people don’t realize there are two commandment stories in Exodus. And I’m thinking they’re in the wrong order.
Why did the Exodus story-tellers split up the commandment stories like that? That confuses easily-confused Bible readers.
The commandments were listed in Exodus 20:1-17. But no mention of the golden is calf there. No, readers have to wait until chapter 32 of Exodus for that story. You know the rest, God.
As Moses returned with the commandments tablets, you told him the people had messed up. Then he discovered his brother Aaron had given in to the people’s fears that Moses wouldn’t return, and voila! The calf was created. In his fury, Moses broke the tablets!
So why aren’t these two commandment stories told as one story? That messes with casual readers who look for a seamless story line. At least, shouldn’t the golden calf story come before the final set of tablets were delivered to the Hebrews?
What I find ironic, oxymoronic – or simply contradictory – is how easily we can point to golden calf imagery, and then seem willfully ignorant of the first commandment listed in Ex. 20:3-6. It begins “Worship no god but me…” No wonder Moses smashed the tablets! I can almost see you smiling at that.
Our fear-based impulses get us into trouble
Maybe you subversively enjoyed this story. It sure shows how people’s fearfulness will rush them to create any little god who promises what that god can never deliver. It’s part of who we are, isn’t it?
But it drives me crazy to admit our fearful impulses drive us to do stupid and destructive things. They really threaten both our healthy relationships and the compassionate society we say we want to co-create with you.
So, could you maybe gimme a break, God? Help me see more clearly how to walk away from the golden calves I help build so I – and we – can keep your love of us front and center. I’m still the faithful skeptic you love.
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.
Thanks, Paul, for this plea and sardonic critique of those who think God especially loves and thus saved Trump vis a vis that fireman at his rally who died protecting his family. A friend told me yesterday that now Trump worshippers are pointing to some obscure passage in Levitus 6 to prove that He is the annoited one (rather than just another golden calf).
Good morning Walter. I appreciate your note and how you used “sardonic”. 🙂 I’ve not used that word often at all. But it may make a comeback in my vocabulary. Yes, the ways that people twist scriptures to justify their limited faith-perceptions are definitely confounding to me. (If you come across that obscure verse in Lev. 6 sometime, pass it along.) We have so much work to do to help re-balance our relationship to the mysteries of God, don’t we.
I agree with you that we are on the wrong path when we look to men or governments to save us or even to promote what we think is right. But it is mostly not what we think is right, but almost always what “I” want. The government is a hammer to impose its will. It cannot change the heart. It often hardens the heart.
On the calf, chronology is important, especially if we are speaking for God.
Exodus 20, God speaks the 10 Commandments.
Exodus 21-23, God gives Moses rules for a civil society and promises His angel to guide them.
Exodus 24, Moses writes those rules in a book, reads them to the congregation and consecrates the congregation. (Note that the Sanctuary is not part of this “book of the covenant”, vs 7.)
Exodus 25 – 31, Moses is shown the true temple where Jesus now ministers as our High Priest. He is to make a model, a theater, with actors showing the plan of salvation, what God is doing for us and in us to save us.
Then God gives Moses the first set of 10 Commandments written on stone.
Exodus 32, the calf is made and worshiped. Moses breaks the 1st set of 10 Commandments.
Exodus 34:1, God commanded Moses to carve out 2 tablets of stone and He, God, would write what He wrote on the 1st stone tablets.
What God spoke and what He wrote both times were the same.
Deuteronomy 5:22, These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
Thank you for taking a moment to respond to this column, Chuck. Sometimes the government does seem only like a hammer, and we’re the nail. I do see, however, genuine examples of governing actions can significantly benefit the citizens of whichever jurisdiction is being effected.
Thank you also, Chuck, for listing out those Exodus chapters (plus Deut.) so whoever else might see your comment gets a better sense of the context timeline found in Exodus.
By all means we should pray for our government and leaders that they will give us an environment to grow, learn and share. We need government to stop us from killing ourselves, but often, in war, it is the killer.
Something that bothers me with the Christian right is that God has given us freedom of choice, knowing what would happen. Why are we not willing to give others that right.
Our job as Christians is to make disciples. Jesus did that by forgiveness, and love, feeding and healing. He had no pre-qualifications except that they feel their need. He drew people to Him, not chasing them down accusing them of sin.
Yes, Chuck, you are right about government being “the killer”. That’s the main reason I am so angry about the 2 most visible wars we’re involved in currently – Ukraine and Israel/Hamas.
You’re also on-target why the Christian right is so off-base with its determination to impose its rigid theology on the rest of our country and eventually our world. Keep “preaching” your understanding of Jesus, Chuck. It seems so much closer to being a Jesus follower!