Fool’s Gold
“Let’s go panning for gold!” When I was in elementary school, I was really excited to learn that it was possible to find gold in mountain creeks! I imagined walking alongside a creek, seeing gold nuggets glimmering in the water and lining my windowsill with these little bundles of wealth and beauty. Then someone told me that the way to find gold was to learn how to pan for gold. They also told me to watch out for fool’s gold, which was abundant in mountain creeks.
Fool’s gold looks shiny like regular gold, and it has a similar weight, but it is fake. I learned that lots of people in the gold rush of the 1800s got tricked with this fake gold, hence the term, fool’s gold. Nevertheless, iron pyrite is the more scientific name for fool’s gold, and people quickly figured out techniques and tests to know the difference between real and fake gold.
The idea of fool’s gold, fake diamonds (cubic zirconium) and other shams are nothing new to the human race. In fact, you can go anywhere in the world and find knockoffs for a variety of clothing, electronic stuff, sports gear, etc.
While we are careful to be aware of fake stuff that could drain our finances, let’s also be careful that we don’t drain our faith with knockoff dogmas and doctrines. I’ve been thinking about this lately as I’ve been reading the Gospel of Matthew. This is an interesting Gospel because there’s no shortage of conflict, drama, tension, hostility, confrontation and outright disrespect between Jesus and the Jewish leaders or religious syndicate.
The Jewish leaders in Jesus’s day had powerful positions and influence, and they were not eager to give up their power. They promoted all kinds of things that looked like authentic faith, but under the surface, lots of their rigor was nothing but hypocrisy and deception. If you want to read some of Jesus’s exposure of their fake religion, consider going through the woes that Jesus itemizes and describes in Matthew 23. In this chapter, He takes to task lots of the shams and distortions that the Jewish leaders dogmatically revered, practiced, promoted and demanded.
While I’m clear that Jesus’s words in Matthew 23 were aimed at fake religion in His day, I’m also clear that fake religion wasn’t just for the distant past. Indeed, fake religion can be kind of like fool’s gold. It can look shiny, seem real and make us feel like we’re pious and righteous. However, sham religion, like fool’s gold, is living to chase mirages. Being highly religious can often be very different from being loving and living in a deeply intimate relationship with Jesus.
I submit that religion with all of its trappings is fool’s gold and a sad but destructive substitute for authentic and vibrant intimacy with God. Here are some contrasts to consider between religion being fool’s gold and relationship being authentic, priceless intimacy with God:
Religion and Fool’s Gold Relationship and Priceless Intimacy
Legalism Grace
Shame Conviction
Deception Truth
Shiny image Genuine beauty
Detached compliance Intimate engagement
Unattainable perfection Messy practice and progress
Superiority Honest commonality
I’m certain that there are more contrasts that we can know between settling for the fool’s gold of religion and having an authentic relationship with God. I pray that we remain vigilant to live in a vibrant and ever deepening relationship with God—living in the truth of being a beloved child of our heavenly Father!
