Wisdom

Imagine someone about to set sail and cross the turbulent sea. He calls upon a piece of wood far more fragile than the boat that carries him.

In fact, this boat has been built with careful thought and is the result of the wisdom of the shipwright.

But it is your providence, Father, that guides it, for you are the one who prepares a path through the sea and a safe route over the waves.

By this, we understand that you can save us from any danger, and even the inexperienced can learn to sail.

People are the result of your wisdom, and you don’t want them to stay idle. So they trust their lives to a small plank of wood and cross the sea safely on a raft.

At the beginning of time, when proud giants perished, the hope of the world found refuge on a raft and, led by your hand, left the seed of a new race for the world.

Blessed be the wood through which salvation was achieved!

But cursed be the idol and its creator, the idol made by human hands, this fragile thing called a god, and the craftsman for shaping it.

They are detestable to God, both the godless and the fruit of their godlessness;

the creator will be punished along with his work.

Therefore, the idols of the nations will also be judged. They have become the most hated of God’s creatures. They are a stumbling block to the human spirit, and the foolish feet are caught in the trap.

The origin of Idolatry: Misfortune and Power

The invention of idols marked the beginning of corruption; when they were created, life became morally spoiled.

Initially, idols did not exist, and they will not last forever.

Human pride brought them into existence, but God has limited their duration.

Imagine a father grieving over a child quickly taken from him, and he makes an image of the child. From then on, a dead figure is worshiped as a god because the father passes down secret rites and celebrations to his dependents.

Over time, this unholy practice becomes established and eventually is enforced by law. It has also happened that rulers ordered the carving of images to be venerated.

Those who lived far away and could not honor them in person had copies made, allowing them to honor the images as if they were present.

The artist’s ambition fueled the growth of veneration among those who did not even know the ruler.

Seeking to please his master, the artist made the portrait more beautiful than reality,

and the people, captivated by the perfection of the artwork, began to worship someone they once considered just a man.

Thus, the image became a trap for the living, as people, whether driven by misfortune or oppression, bowed down before stones and wood, giving them the unnamable Name.

Consequences of Idolatry

But it was not enough for them to be mistaken in their knowledge of God; in the great trouble caused by their ignorance, they have mistaken such an evil situation for peace.

With the sacrificial murder of children in their initiations, secret mysteries, and wild ceremonial orgies,

they no longer keep their lives and marriages pure; they treacherously murder one another or wound others through adultery.

Everywhere, there is a chaos of blood, murder, fraud, theft, corruption, treachery, riots, and perjury;

on all sides, there is harassment of good people, forgetfulness of favors, pollution of souls, and sins against nature—widespread disorder in marriage, adultery, and debauchery.

Indeed, the worship of gods, which do not even deserve a name, is the beginning, cause, and result of every evil.

Others delight in raving or uttering false prophecies; they live wickedly and casually perjure themselves.

As they deal with lifeless images, they do not fear any punishment for their false oaths.

But a double punishment awaits them: as idolaters for their degraded view of God, and as frauds for taking false oaths in defiance of all that is holy.

Although the idols by which they swear are powerless, justice that pursues sinners always catches up with the wicked.