As a radiologist, I spend hours in a dark room every day reviewing images. On one monitor, I click on a patient’s name, and then I wait for the images to come up on the adjoining monitors. Sometimes a message comes up in capital letters declaring, “NO IMAGE.” Staring at that message in the dark is a practice in patience. During those times, I have been struck by our profound desire for the image, for the revelation of a face yet unseen. Throughout all ages, people have longed for the manifestation of God, and in that waiting, have arrived at different modes of knowing Him.
What We Have Seen and Heard
The Christian faith stands alone among religions as the one grounded in direct, personal encounter with God incarnate. In particular, the letter of St. John crackles with the tangible reality of encounter with Christ. The eternal and historical come together in His image, as the evangelist proclaims, “What was from the beginning, what we have seen, what we have heard, concerning the word of life…we announce to you.”
Today’s reading, however, draws us into the closing lines of the letter, which strike an oddly practical and even negative tone. St. John contrasts the chosen nature of those who belong to God against that of the world, “in the power of the evil one.” This text, which for the most part soars with insight into the love of God, closes with the warning, “Children, guard yourselves against idols.”
Saying No to Idols
Why does the evangelist mention the problem of idols? Clearly, he saw that the early Christian churches were surrounded by pagan cultures steeped in idolatry. While faith in Christ had ushered in light, it shone amidst the darkness of a world still attached to idols. They persisted in the worship of false gods, images which man had created. Yet how could one distinguish between true and false? Were men simply doomed to confusion?
Thankfully, as St. John observes, God has placed in man the “discernment” to know “who is the true one.” The name of Jesus reveals to us the true God, and in His name we find the gift of everlasting life. In a real sense, His Name opens up a doorway to eternal life, while the false gods of the pagans remain dead ends, devoid of any life. Here, one is reminded of Joshua’s exhortation to the people of Israel: either they could choose the way of life, or that of destruction, but they had to decide and could no longer take both. So too, as the evangelist reveals, the Yes to Christ’s gift of eternal life hinges upon the clear No to all false gods.
The True and Living God
And while we might presume that today we know better than the ancients, and we would far more readily choose the true God, people today remain ever prone to the wish for false gods. After all, idols demand nothing of the worshiper, for they have no life within them. In contrast, Christ, who is the true and living God, demands a whole rebuilding of our lives as we follow Him in faith. Idols must be abolished, so as to make space for God and his gift of life.
In Jesus we find the “image of the invisible God,” as St. Paul writes, and we may rejoice in the certitude of his truth. Man has always desired to encounter Him tangibly, visibly, and before the coming of Christ, that desire plunged many into idolatry. They worshipped gods they knew to be false. We who live in faith, however, may take strength in knowing that we worship the one true God in Christ. He has revealed to us His Name and His heart, in which we may anchor ourselves with confident faith.
