| I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN | | | | actual nature of life that God created, living |
| UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as | | | | ignorantly no more. In Jesus, and him crucified and |
| something unknown I am going to proclaim to | | | | raised from the dead, we know that God's final |
| you. | | | | arrangement for his creation is now in place; the |
| ~Acts 17:23b (NIV). | | | | final scenes are now being played out. |
| Ever the opportunist, Paul, previously 'greatly | | | | 'Therefore, before such a holy and awesome |
| distressed' to note the quantity of idols in Athens, | | | | God, bigger than you or I can conceive, and |
| clasps a jumping off point in one his famous Acts | | | | certainly at this time, we should repent for the |
| speeches, this time at the Areopagus. | | | | wrong things we have previously worshipped, in |
| The Athenians' 'unknown god' was a coverall. 'With | | | | lieu of him--recognising him now as the Creator, |
| this god we will miss no blessing and receive no | | | | and our one and only true, living God.' |
| undue punishment,' they thought. An | | | | Paul reminds us of the basic things and to see life |
| all-encompassing god for their convenience | | | | again, simply. |
| entirely. Spiritual, yes, but for all the wrong | | | | God is not of creation--he is Creation. He cannot |
| reasons. And this defines many people's spirituality. | | | | be symbolised, he just is. We cannot nail him |
| It's cart-before-the-horse stuff. | | | | down by virtue of our intelligence, creation or |
| Setting the record straight: God came first; he | | | | wisdom. He is worlds beyond any of that, beyond |
| created us and a need in us to need him; our | | | | our best understanding. |
| spiritual need is therefore of him, not to assuage | | | | Before such a God we can only be inspired to |
| our own discomfort or dis-ease--for the truth is, | | | | once again, or even for the first time, begin to |
| we don't know how and without him we will | | | | see the majesty of the loving Father--in, through |
| never know. | | | | and for all things. |
| Why have we got it all the wrong way around? | | | | This one and only, living God truly does want the |
| Perhaps it's our intelligence and senses and | | | | best for us. He loves us with an unimaginable |
| "wisdom" that get in the way. We know we have | | | | love--a love even we cannot comprehend-the |
| a need of a god; we only have to look around | | | | love of a heavenly parent--the perfect parental |
| and see and hear things like, "auras," "Buddha," | | | | will but divinely inspired. It's a love that would |
| "horoscope," "crystals," "affirmations" etc. If not a | | | | require his own Son to die in our place--a love to |
| god, "spirituality." In other words, 'Anything but | | | | show but a glimpse of the unfathomable reaches |
| God.' | | | | of his love for us. |
| The yearning is there, oftentimes. Yet, the | | | | We are forgiven! And in that there is life for us; |
| destination is not found. | | | | life like we have never known, ever. A guilt-free, |
| The crux of Paul's message to the Athenians | | | | shame-free existence. Taste, for this is good! |
| was, 'Today is the day (i.e. now) to recognise the | | | | © 2010 S. J. Wickham. |