God is Not Far from Us
Acts 17:16-28
Most of you know that my wife and I just got back from visiting our daughter, Abigail, our son-in-law Jesse, and 2 grandkids, Parker and JJ. We had a really great visit, and spent a lot of time together in Disney World. There were a couple of days when we were on our own, and we spent one full day at Epcot, where you can visit different exhibits and restaurants representing different parts of the world.
One of those exhibits was the Stave Church, representing Norway. In the church, there were some statues of the major Norse gods- Loki, Thor, Odin, and Freya. I read about what each god was supposed to have controlled in the Viking world. There are more than 40 Norse gods that Vikings had to keep track of, and I thought it was all rather complex. It felt a bit strange to look into the eyes of Odin and Freya, as I pondered what it would be like to worship a bunch of different gods. I left the church, giving thanks that my own worship system was much less complex.
Paul experienced a bit of the same thing I did at Epcot- seeing statues of many different gods as he entered Athens. He came to Athens, in part because he was run out of town in Thessalonica and Berea, both nearby. He tried teaching in the synagogues there, proclaiming that Jesus was the Messiah, but it did not go well.
Now he arrived in the huge city of Athens, with a population at that time of over 200,00 people. Professor Katherine S. Shaner from Wake Forest Divinity School offers a glimpse of what Athens was like back in the day. “Athens was a city that was a hub for the intellectual and cultural elite of the Roman Empire. It was the Cambridge, or Oxford, or Hyde Park, or Harvard Square of the world in the first century CE. Philosophers and wannabe philosophers swarmed in the porticoes and stoas (modern-day coffee shops and craft beer halls) of the city. Athens was teeming with writers and historians, geographers and composers, artists and architects, physicians and lawyers. If you were looking for something ancient, edgy, profound, exotic, different, or intellectually stimulating, Athens was the place to be.”
As Paul entered Athens, he knew he needed a new approach to present the gospel. He noticed the statues depicting the 12 major Greek gods, such as Zeus and Athena, as well as some lesser gods. In all, there were at least 18 different statues of the different Greek gods. He started using some similar approaches to previous efforts to spread the news about Jesus- arguing in the synagogues, and then challenging philosophers in the huge marketplace.
It did not begin well for Paul. He was labeled a babbler by some of the philosophers he argued with. The Greek definition of a babbler suggests his messages were piecemeal, incoherent, or poorly understood. Some understood he represented a foreign religion, since he spoke about Jesus and the Resurrection. But they were confused as to his message. So they took him to the Areopagus, known as "Ares' Hill.” This was a prominent rock outcrop located northwest of the Acropolis in Athens. It served as a crucial institution in both the judicial and political landscape. A Group of leaders, like a city council, presided on this hill to decide judicial functions. It served as the court for serious crimes, including homicide, arson, and religious offenses. The Areopagus council met on the hill bearing its name, where the council members would deliberate and pass judgments. So, Paul was brought forward to explain himself.
Verses 22-31 recount Paul’s sermon to the Areopagus council. Arguing had not worked well thus far. Here, Paul took a new approach. As he began to preach, he remembered entering the city and seeing all the statues of the Greek gods. This time around, rather than arguing that their religion was false, he praised the Athenians for their piety, which he respected.
Then, Paul mentioned one very unusual altar, dedicated to the “unknown god.” Why was there such an altar? Here is what I think. This altar was erected because, at some point, some of the Greek faithful had divine experiences that did not fit into any of the 18 gods in their system of worship. This divine presence was something “other.” Whatever it was, it did not fit clearly with anything they had been taught about Athena and the other gods. So, an altar was raised to pay homage to “an unknown god.” Paul believed that this altar was dedicated to God, and he saw his opening.
As a fellow Roman citizen, Paul was part of Greco-Roman society and knew that people interacted with the gods in temples through ritual and offerings. Still, those gods' true nature was often thought of as distant and aloof from the people.
Paul took that knowledge and the altar of the unknown god and told the Areopagus council that was precisely the God he was proclaiming, the Creator of all things. This God does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is this God in need of being served and given sacrifices from human hands. This God provides everything for human beings and created them to live out their spans of life, seeking this “unknown god.” Furthermore, unlike the distant Greek gods, this God was not far away at all.
Then Paul quotes from two famous Greek poems. First, he speaks about our connection with God: “In him we live and move and have our being,” a line from the poet Epimenides (Circa 600 B.C.) in his poem “Cretica.” Then Paul speaks about our relationship with this God, using another poetic line: “We are his offspring.” This is from the poet Aratus (315-240 BC) and his poem “Phaenomena.” He uses popular cultural references to make his point, just like pastors do today when preaching.
He continues his sermon, saying that this God is not one made of silver or Gold, nor can be imagined by human minds in any correct form. Then Paul encourages the council to turn to this God, who is coming back to judge the world with an unnamed Jesus. The members of the council are split on Paul’s sermon. Some think his presentation is more babbling, while others want to know more about this unknown God, the judgment, and bodily resurrection. They invite him to come back later and say more. Paul then takes his leave of them.
Was Paul’s sermon successful? Well, according to verse 33, he converted one member of the Areopagus council, named Dionysius. Legend has it that Dionysius became the first bishop of the Christian church in Athens. In addition, Paul converted a prominent woman named Damaris and a few others. So, yes, I would say Paul’s sermon was a success. Then Paul headed for Corinth to establish his first church.
I want to focus on one aspect of Paul’s sermon to the Areopagus council. What do you believe about God? Do you believe we can know God? Is God not far from us? Or, perhaps, like the Athenians, do you believe like the other gods, God is aloof, distant?
Here are a few passages from scripture for consideration on God’s closeness.
First, God is with us in times of trouble. 2nd Isaiah, generally, chapters 40-66 were addressed to the Israelites living as captives in Babylon. Times were rough, and the people wondered if God had abandoned them. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”
Then there is Psalm 23, one of the psalms that gives us peaceful images of life after this, in eternity, dwelling in God’s house. Verse 4 reminds us, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and staff, they comfort me.”
And finally, Psalm 46:1 reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
If you find yourself in a place of fear, in the valley of the shadow of death, in some trouble, know and believe God is present, active, and available.
How can we know of God’s presence with us, especially in difficult times? James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and God will draw closer to You.” One way we can feel God’s presence more clearly is through prayer. Jeremiah 29:12-13 tells us, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me, and you will find me; when you seek with all your heart, I will be found by you, says God…”
Prayer takes time, commitment, and consistency. And it isn’t just talking to God and presenting our lists of fears and concerns. As Samuel reminds us, when God was trying to get his attention, Samuel replied, “Speak, God, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)
God is always near, and prayer is a great way to feel God’s presence. But we may feel God as distant, because our lives are too busy to notice or take time to listen.
Consider this story from a couple of years ago: A man sat at a metro station in Washington, D.C. and started playing the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. Three minutes passed, and a middle-aged man noticed a musician playing.
He slowed his pace, stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money into the till and continued walking without stopping. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly, he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year-old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued walking, turning his head the whole time. Several other children repeated this action. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on. In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk at their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing, and silence took over, no one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the world's best musicians. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written on a violin worth $ 3.5 million. Two days before playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston, and the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in a metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, business, and people's priorities. The outlines were: In a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context? If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how will we ever pause to consider God’s presence with us or hear God’s voice?
19th -century English priest Frederick William Faber (1814-63) said, “There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us well nigh incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear these whisperings of God. God is always whispering to us, only we don not hear because of the noise, hurry, and distraction that life causes as it rushes on.”
God’s music is constantly playing in our lives. God is always present, always listening, always whispering. 13th-century German priest Meister Eckhart (1260-1328) wrote, “I am sure as I live nothing is so close to me as God. God is nearer to me than I am to myself.”
People of faith, God is present. May we take time to stop, to pause our busy lives, to turn off the noise, listen, and experience the very real presence of the Creator of all things. Alleluia. Amen.
