When I was a child in Sunday school, I couldn’t understand all the fuss over idol-making. I had never met anyone who worshiped a golden calf, yet the first two commandments deal with idol-making. So, what’s the problem? After a lifetime in ministry, I get it. We can make an idol out of most anything. Even good things can be given exaggerated importance in our lives.
Boniface (672-754) was an early missionary to Germany. The Germans regarded trees as especially sacred in those days. One majestic oak near Hesse, Germany, called the Donar Tree, had special significance for the German people. It served as a shrine to Donar, the red-bearded thunder god who played a prominent role in their mythology. People who came to faith in Christ were reluctant to part with their allegiance to lesser deities like Donar. They feared this deity would punish them if they gave themselves unreservedly to Christ.
Boniface was not the shy, retiring kind. He called people together and took an axe to the sacred tree. When the tree came down and Boniface remained upright, the people pledged their exclusive allegiance to Christ. Boniface did not let the tree go to waste. He used the wood to construct a chapel on the site of the fallen tree. Boniface struck at the root of their pagan religion. Jesus is not merely another demi-god. He exerts power over the whole created world. He cuts our idols down to size. How appropriate for Boniface to lead us in prayer today: