Cloister Thoughts
I once heard a man who was a Vietnam veteran tell the story of a guy in his outfit in Vietnam who claimed to have no faith at all. I don’t know if you have ever heard the expression, “there are no atheists in foxholes,” but I feel that is a pretty accurate statement.
There is something very intense, very hard, and very real about the experience of combat that strips away the outer pre tenses of life and forces one to examine the things that are most important. Of course, the very real possibility of meeting one’s maker around every corner tends to make a person a bit more tuned into things eternal.
In any event, the story went that when this soldier first ar- rived in the country, he was boastful to say that he didn’t believe in anything. A few months later, a friend bumped into him and saw him noticeably wearing on a chain around his neck a cross, a Star of David, a star and crescent, a little Buddha figure and a tinny totemic device of some sort. When his friend pointed out this pretty confusing piece of jewelry and asked for an explanation, the fellow replied, “Man, I believe.” When he asked him exactly what he believed, the solider replied, “I’m not sure, but in my position I can’t afford not to believe in anything!”
Believing in anything – when you read the 17th chapter of Acts....it feels like folks are “covering all the bases.” The young soldier in Vietnam had come to the same point as the people of Athens that Paul was addressing. Paul had entered a city of thinkers – philosophers and intellectuals – who, according to contemporary accounts, spent much of their time in the pursuit of new ideas and new ways to understand life. New ideas can be exciting, and the excitement of new blood and fresh ways of thinking was what those dedicated thinkers of Athens were after.
It was clear that all of this discussion, debate and exploration into ideas had made these people a very religious group. But, what a mess! After taking the short tour of the city, it was clear Paul was not impressed with all that religion – idols, statues and altars on every street corner, honoring just about everything the mind of a person might conjure. The real kicker came when Paul discovered an altar bearing the words, “to an unknown god.” It wasn’t enough that these people were building altars to every god they might hear about – they were even setting up sites of worship for gods that they hadn’t yet found! The people of Athens were like that young soldier in Vietnam – ready to take on belief in anything. There is no doubt that they were a city of seekers – they wanted to know more about life, God, the eternal and all things connected with it.
It’s a natural inclination, to look for God. Paul notes this fact in his sermon to the Athenians: God made us that we would search for God, to find God, even if it means reaching into unknown territory to discover the truth. Like Paul, all of us who claim faith in Christ know that there are answers to be found here – answers to the little things in life, to the little moral dilemmas and uncertainties. There are answers for the bigger questions, too, for the ultimate questions about life’s meaning and understanding the eternal. We take comfort in the knowledge that, as Paul states, God calls us God’s own children, members of the family. We do not worship a distant or impersonal deity, but a God that wants to be known, and to be known as well as we are known by God.
The people of Athens wanted to know God as well. The problem was, the religious folks of Athens wanted to build their god, whether it was of stone or gold or the substance of philosophical debate. They wanted to provide the raw ingredients for their god, to devise that deity themselves. Paul was seeing what the people wanted. Make a god that suits my devices. It seems like a natural answer. When times are tough, make a god that will reassure, emphasize what is good and steady in the world. When times are a little too good and there are excesses among the people, create a god that will chastise the greedy and provide a word for generosity and fairness. When evil influences lurk, produce a fiery god that brings harsh judgment against wrongdoers. In other words, make a god that suits the need.
What is the unknown God that so many seek? Paul tipped the Athenians to the answer. Taking a quick solution is not enough. Calling on a friendly, holy-sounding sentiment is not enough. Drawing up a god that feeds the immediate need is not enough. The God of Paul’s faith is not merely satisfied to provide the momentary answer, but wants to fill the longer-term desire. It is a God who cares enough to call us members of the family, who wants a relationship with us, to relate to us as we relate to our human families. Life with God is not a quick and easy thing. It is a relationship that requires nurture. We might have to listen to the voice of God telling us things we would rather not hear, but we must trust that through the good and the bad, through the rough and the smooth, through life on earth into life in the eternal, God is there for us – always there for us – not in figures made of stone or precious metal, but in loving arms that hold us firm through the trials of life – and ultimately welcome us into eternity.
Journey well, Easter People - Rick
