They Must Be Carried

Apparently this incident occurred in a Catholic church in Canada. I wouldn't be surprised that there were some fellow Maltese there!

When I first saw the video, I could not help but think of what the prophet Jeremiah (10:5) said:

Like a scarecrow in a melon patch,
their idols cannot speak;
they must be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not fear them;
they can do no harm
nor can they do any good.

The prophet Isaiah (41:7) said something similar:

The craftsman encourages the goldsmith,
and he who smooths with the hammer
spurs on him who strikes the anvil.
He says of the welding, "It is good."
He nails down the idol so it will not topple.

The Psalmist (115:3-8) too pours scorn on idols:

Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
But their idols are silver and gold,
made by the hands of men.
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but they cannot see;
they have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but they cannot smell;
they have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but they cannot walk;
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.

Of course the Bible is speaking on the pagan idols, not about Christian statues. But evidently the Christian statues are not much better. They too must be nailed down and carried along; they too have feet but cannot walk.

Christians would do well to turn away from human traditions to worship God in Spirit and truth, as our Lord instructed. It is high time that we take heed to God’s second commandment (Exodus 20:4, 5) which prohibits his people from bowing down before or serving man-made images.