Rev.
Hewlett stopped to talk in the street in front of my home. I was
washing and waxing my car. I had just purchased it for $100.00. It
was a 1950 blue 2 door Plymouth. I had saved to buy a car by working
at a grocery store. Being 17 years old and having a car meant new
opportunities. Now I could ask girls out.
Growing
up in St. Louis our family did not own an automobile. We walked or
took the bus to get to work or school. We lived 6 blocks from. On
Sunday in every kind of weather we walked to worship.
Rev. Hewlett gently warned me about making an idol of my car. He
told me God blessed me with the Plymouth to help others. He
challenged me to dedicate it to God. His words were an awakening of
the danger of idolatry.
In
response to my pastor's counsel Mom and I had a short prayer of
dedication of the car. We knew other people walked to church and
needed a ride. Therefore on Sundays I shuttled folks to church. Mom
was proud that we helped her widowed friends to avoid rain and hot
weather when walking to worship.
Rev.
Hewlett appreciated the way I responded to his leadership about the
Plymouth. In worship he complimented me for dedicating my old car to do good things for others. Then the moment was ruined!
He
described the car as a jalopy dedicated to God. I was mortified . In
my eyes the car was not in dilapidated condition. It did burn a
quart of oil every 100 miles. With noise and trail of smoke my
friends named it , “The Blue Bomber”. My visceral reaction did
reveal how much I loved that car. It took me awhile to forgive my
pastor for such an insensitive remark! People get outraged if their
idol is insulted !
I
need to heed the command of Moses for my spiritual health. “You
shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything
that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth..You shall not bow
down and worship them”. Exodus 20: 4-5.
The
Blue Bomber served our family well for one year then fell apart. Rev.
Hewlett was right. It was a jalopy on the way to the junk yard. My
pastor gave me a lesson for life. When I make an idol it will
consume all my time. An idol brings false hope of soul satisfaction.
The path of happiness is to serve God with worldly possessions to
help others.
His
counsel helps me when tempted to make an idol of political party,
religious leader, elected official, or church denomination. They,
like my blue bomber, are good in a limited way but very temporary.
They are flawed and can not deliver the goods. My Creator alone is
the source of a meaningful life and I need to worship Him only.
