Jesus and the disciples were walking the streets of Jerusalem, and they began talking about the architectural splendor of the temple (Matthew 24:1). But Jesus said, “A day is coming when not one of these stones will be left standing.” Wanting to understand more, they pressed, “What are you saying? What will it be like in the last days?” Wars and rumors of wars. Nation rising up against nation. Famine, storms, earthquakes; the birth pains to let you know something big is about to go down. Then Jesus gave another sign of the end.

Matthew 24:10-12 – At that time many will turn away from the faith…Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.

Many will fall away. People who once were in relationship will act like two cats in a bag. False teachers will pop up on YouTube like dandelions in the summer. They’ll have big platforms, lots of likes and subscribers because they’ll say what everyone wants to hear. The Greek for “fall away” is skandilizomai.  We hear our word scandalized. A few YouTube documentaries and their faith will fall like a stack of Jenga blocks. What will that look like? Let’s look back at Jeremiah’s day.

Jeremiah 2:19 – …Your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

Jesus talked about a falling away. Paul wrote about a great apostasy, or abandoning of the faith (2 Thessalonians 3:2). Jeremiah said, “You guys backlid. You didn’t move forward. You went backward.”  

That word backslide makes me think of a scene in Edmond Spencer’s epic poem The Fairy Queen. It’s a poem about knights, sword fights, adventure, romance, princes, witches, and the journey of life. In Book 2, Canto 12, Spencer writes about the “Bower of Bliss.” Bower is an old English word for garden. In this garden of delight, every color is vibrant. Each flower blooms to it’s full potential. There are no mosquitoes or bees, only the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees. It is a magical place. 

The protagonist is a good knight, Sir Guyon, who knows the Bower of Bliss is the home of the evil witch Acrasia. She makes a lot of people “a-crazy.” So, he and his trusty friend, a priest, head into the garden to defeat the wicked hag.

At the garden entrance, they meet a tall man who looks effeminate. His long robe falls around his ankles so thick he can’t “do any manly exercise.” He’s also got a fluffy necklace of pretty flowers. His name is Genius. He’s called that not because he’s super intelligent but because he knows how to show everyone a good time in the garden. He’s got a large bowl of wine in his hand.  

Sir Guyon and his trusty aid walk on by the Genius and into the garden. Soon, they have their next meeting. She’s a shabbily dressed, crusty-looking gal named Excess. She’s sitting under an archway from which the plumpest-looking grapes you could imagine dangle. She squeezes the juice out into a golden cup and offers everyone a slurp. Excess’s appearance shows us that more doesn’t mean more. More often robs us of health and joy. Less is often more. The knight is on a mission and walks on by again.  

This time, he comes to a beautiful fountain. Inside the fountain are two topless girls. They are wrestling, exposing themselves, and giggling. They invite Sir Guyon to join in the fun, and he feels a sudden tingle of desire. He can’t pull his eyes away and starts to head for a big plunge in the pool. But thank God, he had a friend. After a firm rebuke, they were both on their way again unscathed.

They finally come to the heart of the Bower of Bliss. The sweet music of harps wafts through the air. The trees are swaying in time. In this lush, hidden corner of the garden is the sinister Acrasia, lying on a bed of roses. On her lap is the head of a sleeping, wayward knight. Interesting, the lost fellow’s name is Verdant, which means “spring” or “life.” 

But there he lay, lifeless and senseless. As Sir Guyon looked on, Acrasia kissed him gently, and after each peck, she sucked his soul out of his closed eyelids, which gave her great pleasure. As it turns out, the sleepy knight was just one of many. Around the garden’s outskirts were a crazed horde of zombies, half men and half beast. These animals without souls prowl around, looking to tear in pieces any they can find. They’ve lost their ability to reason and practice self-control after wandering into the graden of death, and into the arms of Acrasia.  

Sir Guyon sees Verdant’s sword hanging from a tree limb. Beside the sword lay his shield that once bore the identifying marks of past victories and heroic deeds. But those reminders were scrapped out to erase them from memory.  

Spencer writes, “But in lewd loves, and wasteful luxury, his days, his goods, his body he did spend; O horrible enchantment, that him so did blend (we would say blind).”  

At this point the story moves forward quickly. Sir Guyon and his companion sneak up behind the witch and throw a net over her. They rescue Verdant and set the Bower of Bliss on fire.  

The Bower of Bliss is an excellent example of what the idolatry of excess, sensuality, perversion, and pleasure does. Idolatry happens when created things become the most important things, replacing our love for Jesus. Idols romance us and promise pleasure, bliss, ecstasy, and delight. But one time is never enough. It’s always a little more to the point of excess. And the one called and gifted to be a warrior ends up with his sword dangling in the wind, and the shield of faith lying on the ground.  The promised bliss vanishes like a candle in the wind. Idols suck the very soul out of the warrior, leaving it hard, cold, bitter, and distant from God. 

Is there hope? Is there a way to return to God, and our first love? Yes… Stay tuned…