Travis Reese

Dear Friends,

In today’s reading in Acts 17:16-34, we learn about a debate Paul has while staying in Athens. Paul engages with the philosophers during his stay, including the Stoics and Epicureans, as I guess one would while in Greece at the time.

The opening to his philosophical argument is interesting because he addresses an altar he sees dedicated “To an unknown god.”

From this passage we learn that the people of Athens worshipped their idols, but it seems like they were longing for something bigger or greater. Could it be they were giving some space to worshipping an “unknown god” as a placeholder, hoping it would reveal itself later?

I don’t fully understand ancient Greece and its philosophies or culture, but I do understand idolatry. My viewpoint is western, but I can’t imagine the Greeks were much different, idolizing material items or wishing blessings bestowed upon them.

To use a completely hypothetical example…what if I spent quite a bit of time focusing on a work promotion, and a little idol represented said promotion. I’m curious if I would pray to that idol. Of course I’d still save space “to an unknown god.” Perhaps that “god” could be revealed to me, you know, at some later date.

Back to Paul. He, of course, turns this philosophical debate into a conversation encouraging the Athenians in the audience to repent and follow God, the father of Jesus. And some are led to follow him, the power of the Holy Spirit building the early Christian movement.

If there is an “unknown god” in my life, I can safely say that I am at fault for still not knowing capital-G God. I have all the tools necessary to know God—the bible, prayer, community—but I think I might closely resemble the Athenians in my daily life.

My focus may be on the idols and I may just hold space to our Unknown God.

I wonder what form of encouragement could move some of us away from an altar “To an unknown god” and into a knowing relationship with Jesus. I hope we can all find it.

In Christ,

—Travis