We are never in more danger of getting things wrong than when we are certain we have them right. The saints of the ages warn us against seeking certainty in our faith and remind us that even the people of God can be wrong. Each reading this week offers an example of our ability to be wrong, along with related insights regarding how we might avoid the problem.

We begin with the people of God in the wilderness. When Moses does not return from Mount Sinai when they expect him, they turn to Aaron. Strangely enough, he asks the people to take off their golden earrings and give them to him. He then melts the gold and refashions it into a golden calf. When the people see the calf they declare, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” At first glance, their exclamation seems blatantly false, almost unbelievable. But then they turn the occasion into a hedonistic display.

The Israelites get it wrong when Moses and God do not meet their expectations. They are not the last ones to do so. All the way up to the present day, we are tempted to turn to new leaders who will make us “golden calves” when our accustomed ones do not say and do what we expect. There are always leaders and golden calves to substitute for the real thing. We get it wrong when we live by a “my way or the highway” view of life.