TRANSCRIPT:
When we hear the word idol today, most people think of a statue of a Greek goddess or perhaps the golden calf of the Old Testament.
But idols are still alive and well in the 21st century, perhaps even more so.
With over 200 million records sold globally, Taylor Swift is the highest-grossing female performer ever and the first billionaire with music as her main source of income.
Taylor Swift's Heiress Tour could gross $2.2 billion in North American ticket sales alone, not to mention merchandising for food and beverage sales at her concerts worldwide.
That would make it the highest-grossing tour ever.
Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour was the previous record holder, grossing only $887 million.
Swift's not the only one making money.
The average price of pre-sale and first-sale tickets was $455, but the average resale price of that same ticket is over $1,600.
It's apparent that her fans idolize her, with many spending hundreds of dollars on clothing and merchandise at her concerts and online.
I won't fault Taylor Swift for her success; however, I will fault some of her fans for turning Swift into an Idol.
In one case, that idolization went so far as to take precedence over Jesus Christ.
About ten days ago, officials in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were so excited about
Swift's concert there this month, they electronically projected a Taylor Swift-themed robe onto its famed Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the city.
The fact that such a statue exists at all is subject for another time, but the point here is there is nothing in this world that deserves to be put ahead of Jesus Christ.
When we hear the word idol today, many people think of a statue of a goddess or perhaps a golden calf of the Old Testament.
We tend to ignore passages that include references to idolatry because we see this as something that happened only in ancient times, but that's not the case.
Idol worship is alive and well in the 21st century.
These idols are not limited to one country or culture as they were before the time of Christ… But now idol worship has become a global phenomenon.
Idolatry is the worship of idols or excessive devotion to or reverence for some person or thing. An idol is anything that replaces the one true God as a focus in our minds.
Idols can be things like money, power, position, sex, possessions, and, in this case, even another human being.
The message of scripture is that God alone is worthy of worship.
Idol worship robs God of the glory that is rightfully His, and that is something He will not tolerate. The significance God places upon this is clear in the first of the Ten Commandments, as it refers to idolatry.
It reads…
“You shall not have other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven, above, or on earth, beneath, or in the waters below.”
Idolatry is a matter of the heart and ultimately represents rebellion against God.
Is it any wonder God hates it?
I am not saying one should never go to a Taylor Swift concert. What I am saying is, don't make her or anything else into an idol that takes precedence over God.
Until next time, I'm Jim McCraigh…
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