What happens when important things are made ultimate things?
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By. Dr. Diane Bowen. MD
The God-Shaped Vacuum and the Idolatry of Politics
Blaise Pascal famously observed that there is a God-shaped vacuum in every human heart. Created for infinite and immortal things, we cannot be filled by the finite. When that vacuum is not filled by the true God, it will be filled by something else—and that something else becomes the functional god of that person.
We see the consequences of this idolatry all around us. There is a growing trend of young adults cutting themselves off from their parents over political and policy differences. We find ourselves deeply divided, not just on policies, but on our very humanity. In a culture that honors the Triune God, His design and instruction serve as common ground—a basis for relationship and reconciliation. But when the true God is dismissed, people elevate their views on sexuality, climate, gender, economics, and border control to the level of the divine. They defend these views with a zeal that used to be reserved for theology. These topics become their faith, and they become zealous proselytizers for false religions.
The Fluidity of Language and the Tyranny of Feelings
When culture abandons the true God, it inevitably abandons objective truth, starting with language. Words take on fluid meanings. Love, for instance, loses its biblical definition of willing the highest good of another and sacrificing for them. Instead, it is redefined to mean unconditional affirmation. But anyone who has raised a child knows the vast difference between unconditional love and unconditional agreement. Affirming someone’s destructive choices is not love; it is complicity.
We have also elevated emotions above truth. It is often said that emotions make good followers but poor leaders. Increasingly, we live in a world that prioritizes what feels good over what is good and true. When feelings become our ultimate authority, anyone who challenges our feelings is treated as an enemy. This demonization is the logical consequence of removing the true God from the dialogue, leading to the rhetorical and social “assassinations” we see daily.
The Order of Loves (Ordo Amoris)
So, what are we to do? We must clearly see the situation and address it as unencumbered by emotion as possible. This requires what we might call tough love—doing the right thing even when it doesn’t feel good.
St. Augustine developed the concept of the ordo amoris, or the “order of loves.” This framework helps us prioritize essential things over important things, and important things over peripheral things. Augustine recognized that sin is often just disordered love—loving lesser things more than greater things. When we elevate political preferences to the level of essential doctrine, we disorder our loves and devalue our relationships.
A helpful maxim to remember is: Hold onto the things you like lightly, and hold onto those you love tightly. Learn to make essential things essential. Be prepared to agree to disagree on secondary matters, while still being willing to smile and break bread with one another, especially those who love us.
The Root of Discord
We must be vigilant against the slow creep of bitterness. An offense concealed becomes bitterness congealed, and then anger revealed. The soil of discontent and discord grows distrust and antagonism, which ultimately sets the stage for the very chaos and destruction, the seeds of which we can see in our culture. These are the strategies of our enemy Satan, whose only goal is to tear down and degrade what our loving Father has given us.
In this upcoming season of fellowship over football, family, food, and faith, let us resolve to focus on nurturing our relationships rather than nursing our injured pride or “pet” causes. Do not allow the peripheral things of this world to destroy the essential relationships God has gifted you.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Put away perversity of speech; put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths of your life and be steadfast in all your ways.” — Proverbs 4:23-26 (NIV)