Chapter 17 - Paul in Athens

Paul’s missionary journeys of the Book of Acts turn out to be more like running from the authorities and running from those who sought to do him in. He winds up in Athens as he and Silas have had to quickly depart from Berea.  
We know about Athens. Athens is a big deal.  
Acts 17 tells us that some people in Athens used to do nothing much all day except talk about ideas and philosophy. This they saw as highly civilized. Such Athenians would have considered themselves terribly sophisticated intellectually and politically. In many ways they were, we are still today impacted by the ways in which Greek philosophy saw the state, the mind, the soul. 
Paul looked around Athens and saw something else as well. He saw religion – everywhere. 
As Paul spoke the Christian gospel word got out about a new way of seeing things. Paul was asked to speak to more people. When he did he told them what he had seen. He started off not by saying, “You are so advanced. You are so sophisticated.” He started off by saying, “You are so religious.” He noted that there were idols everywhere, things made by hands. 
The analogy to today is pretty basic and obvious. 
We think that we are so sophisticated today. In many ways we are an advanced society. People can make the assumption that we have outgrown religion or faith. But look around. The idols are everywhere. People give their lives to serving idols of silver and gold, to serving electronic numbers, online balances. 
Paul tells the Athenians that life is not found in idols. Life is found in God.  
In fact, Paul quotes some of their own philosophers in saying that in God we “live and move and have our being”. He includes all in this. We all live and move and have our being in God. 
He then tells them about Jesus who has overcome death as an assurance that our life in God outlasts this world we know. 

Dear God, 
There’s so much religion around here. Idols are everywhere. Idols of silver and gold, wealth and material goods. Idols of celebrity and technology and status and power. And none of them bring life. Let me see, this day, that my life is in you. Let us see that in you we live and move and have our being. 
In Jesus’ name. 
Amen