Idolatry: does this still happen?

I can't imagine bowing down to worship a little wooden statue, or a big golden calf, or any sort of idol.  People used to do it, but it's really just not done anymore, except maybe by a small percentage out on the fringe.

But most of us see the stupidity of it.  We can foresee just how awkward and bizarre an experience it would be to actually give homage to something that is obviously just a man-made object.  We have all listened well to the words of St. Gregory Nazianzen (even if maybe we haven't actually heard them before):

How can that which is seen be higher and more godlike than that which sees?

Gregory lived in the 4th century, when a very large portion of the world still worshipped idols, and so he loves to point out how backwards it is.  We are human beings, far more godlike than idols, because we're made in the image of God.  Idols are mere images of us, or of animals, or of some other created thing.

So it's settled - idol worship is just some silly ancient idea that's as stupid as it is irrelevant to modern man.  The First Commandment is therefore the easiest commandment to follow because it's so obvious, at least in our enlightened world, wherein no one would ever be so dumb as to worship a piece of silver or stone.  It's a no-brainer.

Right?

...well, no.  Leaving aside questions of atheism (perhaps for a later day?), there is a very real danger to which we all fall prey: that of putting other things ahead of God.  Sure, no one is so strange as to bow down and pay homage to a cat sculpture, but

I think it's really a question of priorities.  Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.  None of us sacrifices animals to false gods (at least, I hope not), but how many of us sacrifice our time or talent or treasure to worthless or even sinful things?  What's our real goal in life, and how does that manifest itself in the small things?  It's very easy to say that God and family are the most important things, but when it comes down to it, there's a strong tendency to not actually live that out.

And as far as I see it, time is probably the biggest thing.  It's the one that we're most possessive of - just think about the phrase "me-time."  Sacrificing our time to the false god of our egos is a pretty common and very self-centered sin.  Clearly everyone needs recreation time - that's part of being human.  But if we have enough time to watch 2 hours of TV, but at the same time don't have enough time for 15 minutes of prayer everyday, there's an imbalance.  If we spend hours of time on the internet, while neglecting relationships with those closest to us, there's also an imbalance.

Don't keep your time to yourself - give it instead to those who deserve it.

Just something to think about...