Imitation vs the Real Thing
“…for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13).
Do you ever choose the imitation over the real thing? There are all kinds of imitations in the world today. In the food realm imitations abound – from imitation crab to various kinds of imitation meats and cheeses, not to mention the myriad sweeteners that mimic sugar. Beyond that, people often choose a life of screens that imitates real life. In fact, Americans spend 90% of their time indoors. With TVs, tablets, computers and smartphones, I guess that number kind of makes sense. But that is a staggering figure, especially when we consider what beauty there is to experience in the world that God has created for us.
Jeremiah, in our upcoming Old Testament reading, relays God’s indictment against his people – and it’s twofold. 1) they forsook the Lord, the fountain of living water 2) they dug cisterns that had cracks and couldn’t hold any water.
Essentially then, they chose imitation over the real thing. And clearly the imitation was dramatically inferior. Contrast a waterfall, gushing freshwater from a mountain to a leaky, cracked well. There is no comparison. And the Lord uses this imagery to showcase how unwise his people had become to exchange the living God for the lifeless idols of the nations.
Friends, let’s examine our ways. How might we be making the same exchange? Is God on the throne of your heart? Or has he been replaced by an imitation? Of course, we don’t create literal idols, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things in our life that replace the fulfillment we should be experiencing in God alone. God offers true life, joy and peace that the world can only imitate. But here’s the catch. It doesn’t come in the same way as the world offers, with immediacy as if we were at a drive-thru.
No, what God offers must be cultivated over time spent in prayer, listening, silence and reflection. It means being intentional and mindful about our heart’s affections. The broken cisterns are easily accessible. But what they offer is temporary and ultimately worthless. The fountain of life on the other hand is eternal and worthy of pursuit. Why? Because it entails a relationship with the living God, the likes of which will fulfill and transform us in ways that we can’t even imagine.
Fr. Darin+