So, to quell their fears, Aaron collected their gold earrings and melted them down to form a Golden Calf. Subsequently, the people began to worship this monstrous idol as a God. Whether you are a Christian or not, this biblical story resonates with what we Americans are currently experiencing. Today, the Golden Calf is money — be it bitcoin, paper currency or stocks. Sadly, too many people have lined up to sell their bodies, souls and principles for some ‘filthy lucre’. The prevailing thought is that everybody has a price that they will sell out or lie for.

Over the past decade, I have watched people abandon both their integrity and core principles for money; invest huge sums in supporting defective/lying candidates. Most disturbing is the fact that this so-called money is being pumped into elections by corporations. According to available data, “44 percent of all the money contributed to the 2024 Presidential election” came from cryptocurrency via corporations. These dollars simply overwhelm the nickels and dimes that We the People bundle together. Before ordinary

folks can donate, vote by mail, or at the ballot box, corporate money has already influenced election results.

Moreover, gold trim, as a decorative accent, has become the standard for the current White House furnishings and ornamentation. Folks are not only captivated by this shiny metal — some even worship it. I guess the old adage, “he who has the gold rules,” is still valid today.

Going back to Exodus 32, after Moses’s brother built the Golden Calf and the people worshiped it, Moses returned after 40 days and was appalled. According to the Bible, “When Moses returned, he broke the stone tablets (The Ten Commandments) in anger, destroyed the idol and punished the people.”

So, you might be thinking, “What the hell does this mean for us today in our modern society? Well, to me it feels like we’ve concluded it’s better to be rich than to be righteous. More concerning is that individuals who have amassed a lot of ‘gold’ now strut around as if they are smarter and deserve more privileges. I remember my mother explaining to me that money, per se, is not the ‘Root of all evil’. She emphasized that it was “the love of money” that was the root of all evil.

Today, the ‘love’ of money has resulted in the rise of political cults, criminal organizations, and unscrupulous politicians. In my humble estimation, we must avoid anything that takes away our humanness and refuse to kneel before and pray to another human instead of the Most High. We must reject idolatry in any form, be it another human, a tree or any sentient creature. While I appreciate both the beauty and

the value of gold, I refuse to worship or idolize it or any other human being.