Separation

I was listening to a sermon this morning, and found this profoundly heartbreaking.

Excerpt from Ravi Zacharias' talk on "The Lostness of Man" (22/6/08)

"Man has traded away the glory and beauty of God for the ugliness and crassness of man and creatures. Listen to what Habakkuk says: Of what value is an idol since man has carved it, or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes and trusts in his own creation, he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood 'Come to life!' or to lifeless stone 'Wake up!'. Can it give guidance? It is covered in gold and silver but there is no breath in them. But the Lord is in his Holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him.

"Listen to what David says in Psalm 135. He talks of idols that are blind, idols that are deaf, idols that are dumb. And then he adds this rather pungent comment, he says 'Those who worship these idols become like them.'

"Isaiah in chapter 29 has an analogy for worshippers of idols, and those who deify themselves: He says they are likened to a man who is hungry, who went to sleep at night, and while he was tossing and turning and night he dreamed he was feasting at a banquet. He ate all the food that he wanted to eat, only to be shocked when he'd woken up to find out it was all a dream. It was likened to a man who was thirsty, rolling in bed at night desperately seeking some water in his stomach, and as he is sleeping he is dreaming he is drinking from a fresh spring, he drinks and drinks and drinks to his body's content, only to wake up and find out it was all a dream.

...

"Habakkuk captures the lifelessness of idolatrous persuits as destitute of truth; David reminds us that we become like those whom we worship; Isaiah captures it as an illusionary dream that leaves one hungry...Chesterton describes it as waking up in the morning, looking into the mirror and seeing nothing."