River Crossings #1

Here begins the series, “River Crossings”, a journal of sorts, recording the time between Australia and Japan, when Tony and I were transferred suddenly to Bangkok, Thailand. It was a bittersweet experience, and we’re definitely better people for it. I pray that you will be blessed by taking this journey with me.


1. From Mars Hill

 

Yesterday Tony and I watched the sun set over Athens from atop Mars Hill, at the base of the Acropolis. Back in the first century, the area was known as Areopagus, and it’s such a rocky place that the inhabitants had literally carved out walkways, steps, and the foundations of their houses in the granite. One industrious resident even built his entire home back in the rock, complete with door, window, and carvings on the walls! Standing on the spot where most agree would have been the Apostle Paul’s speaking platform, I recalled his words, recorded in Acts 17: “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.”
And so he did. Many heard him that day, and a few believed, including a man by the name of Dionysus, a member of the local Council, and a woman named Damaris. Other writings outside the Bible tell us that they went on to build the first church in Athens.
What has always intrigued me about Paul’s proclamation, though, was the observation that the people to whom he spoke were “very religious”. I think the same can be said of a lot of folks today. Tonight, we’re getting on a plane for the last leg of our journey back to Bangkok, and boy, would the people there have “amened” Paul that day on Mars Hill! The Thai are some of the most religious people I’ve ever known, with temples erected by law within every building constructed (The Baptist church has received an exception to the law, since we have a God already). These people talk freely and sincerely about the world of the spirits, and man’s obligation to them. The problem is, most of them have never met the UNKNOWN GOD Paul talked about. And that’s what draws us back to Thailand.
But as I think about it, there’re a lot of similarities between Thais, Athenians, and you and me. We’ve all been blessed with an innate desire to know God (see also the presence of “religion” everywhere you go in the world), but somehow, we’ve forgotten Who He is. I’d like to hear from you: what’s going around as “religion” where you live, and how does it compare with the One Who placed the longing in our hearts to start with? And what can you do about it?
“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.” (Acts 17:23)

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