May the mumbling commence!

Paul was in Athens waiting to be reunited with Silas and Timothy.  But Paul did not allow waiting to be an excuse to do nothing.  Paul noticed a people receptive to faith and religion.  This receptivity showed itself through many idols.  Though these idols distressed him, Paul used this receptivity to his advantage in preaching the gospel message of Christ Jesus.  Eventually, the philosophers in Athens invited Paul to a meeting of the Areopagus.  These great thinkers wanted to know what this new idea that Paul had was all about.  Read Paul’s response:

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' 

Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone – an image made by man's design and skill.  In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." 

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject."  At that, Paul left the Council.  A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others. (Acts 17:22-34)   

Instead of convicting the Athenians of their idolatry, Paul noted that they were a very religious people.  Paul noted and used the fact that they had an altar for and unknown god.  And Paul set out to describe to them the God of all creation, who they did not know.  Not only did Paul use their idols but Paul also used their poetry to encase the gospel.

Only after this reaching out did Paul proceed to tell them about the ignorance of their idol making.  God once used to look on such ignorance with forgiveness, but, now that Christ has come to earth, that forgiveness and patience is gone.  Jesus will be coming to judge the world, and God gave proof of this through the resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead.

The resurrection received a mixed response.  Some sneered at the resurrection.  Some wanted to hear more.  And it seems that a small handful accepted the Good News and became followers of Christ.  No, not all the stories in the New Testament are of miraculous numbers of people coming to Christ.  This story reminds me of that fact.  This story also reminds me to be constantly aware of the surroundings around me.

If the Apostle Paul were to walk our streets today, what would he see?  I think he would see another culture that is grasping at idols in their thirst for the spiritual, the religious, a reason to believe – a faith.  The idols take many shapes – everything from yoga to New Age Religion to our dependence on drugs.  Many people need drugs to feel good, drugs to make us go to sleep, drugs to wake us up, and drugs to handle the side effects of all the other medications they may be taking.  Paul would also see our idols of fame and fortune.  Would the Apostle Paul point us to what is written on our currency?  IN GOD WE TRUST.  How can you and I be messengers of God to this day and age – regardless of what the immediate outcomes may be?

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out