‘We become what we worship?’

The inspired Psalm warns: “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands: they have mouths, but they speak not; they have eyes, but they see not; they have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. Like them be those who make them; yes, everyone who trusts in them!” (Psa 135:15–18 [134 LXX]; cf. Psa 115:4–8). The Apostle sets the two destinies side by side for our edification: those who “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles… worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” and were given up to corruption (Rom 1:22–25); but those who love God are “predestined to be conformed to the image (icon) of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom 8:28–30; see Q008, Q078). We become what we worship: the worshipers of dead idols become spiritually dead, but those who behold the living Icon of God are transformed into his likeness, from glory to glory (2Co 3:18; see Q011, Q383).

For this reason the beloved disciple ends his great epistle with the warning, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1Jo 5:21; see Q518), that we may gaze upon Jesus Christ, the Icon and Son of the living God, according to the prayer of the Divine Liturgy: “He lived in this world, and gave us precepts of salvation; releasing us from the delusions of idolatry, he guided us to the sure knowledge of You, the true God and Father; he acquired us for himself, as his chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (Anaphora of the Liturgy of St Basil the Great; see Q017, Q024).