In their well-known cartoon strip, Calvin and Hobbes are discussing the growing interest in angels. Calvin says, “I think angels are everywhere.” 

“You do?” says Hobbes. 

“Yes,” says Calvin. “They are on calendars, books, greeting cards, almost every product imaginable.” And Hobbes responds, “My, what a spiritual age we live in.” 

The Christian church was born in a spiritual age. There were many deities, many gods worshiped in all kinds of settings. In our text for today, Paul is in Athens. He sees signs of many different gods. He goes to a place called the Areopagus. This was a kind of debate forum in ancient Greece. Ideas were exchanged. Intellectual stimulation was propagated there. Luke says in the story, “It was a place where people liked to spend all their time telling and hearing the latest new thing.” (17:21) The Areopagus was either beside or on top of a huge rock. Paul gathers with a group of men from Athens. He observes, “I perceive that in every way you are very religious.” 

I suppose something similar could be said of us today. Consider the number of books on the best-seller list with the word “soul” in the title. Or consider the number of movies dealing with angels or the afterlife. There is a growing interest in spirituality today. 

Americans are a religious people, but sometimes in some not-so-healthy ways. We are religious about leisure and about recreation, especially in the past 10-15 years. Someone pointed out that it was about 15 years ago (1991) when a significant historical milestone passed in silence. That year was the first time more people went to Disney World than to the sites and shrines in Washington, DC. A commentator said, “Parents exchanged the chance for their children to have personal encounters with the faces and places that created this country for a few giddy memories of whirling or wild rides and getting their picture with a walking, talking Mickey Mouse.” 

Sometimes we are religious about technology. We have such a strong sense of self-importance. We always have to be in touch. We are religious about the latest new thing: the fastest CPU on the computer, the “must have” High Definition TV, or the maximum storage iPod. Modern society has a passion for style, with little concern for substance. We are enthralled with image, and bored with reality. 

And then there’s the whole matter of superstition. We are sometimes religious about superstition. The other day I read about some specific superstitions of baseball players. One player takes a shower in his uniform after a game to “wash out all the bad plays.” Another one squirts Murine on the bat so the bat can “see” the ball coming better. There’s a bat boy for one team who makes sure that no bats are crossed during the game. And there’s a pitcher who talks to the ball so the ball knows the route to the plate. 

We have become religious about leisure and technology and image and style and superstition. In the midst of it all, the reality of God is fading. Or at least it’s fogged in, clouded over with a partially blocked view. 

Two brothers ages 10 and 12 were constantly in trouble in church. Finally they were called to the minister’s office, the younger boy first. He was confronted by intense questions from the minister, with the often repeated question, “Where is God? Where do you think God is?” Terrified, the boy ran home, grabbed his older brother, and they went into the closet together—the place where they usually hatched their schemes. The younger boy said to his brother, “We are in big trouble. Somebody has stolen God, and they think we did it.” 

God is not disappearing, of course. But the reality of God is fading. It is diffused and weak. And we substitute a host of religious expressions that grow in intensity. 

In the text for today, Paul notices one sign—one altar—that is different. It reads simply, “To an unknown God.” Paul seizes the moment. “Let me tell you,” he says, “about this unknown God you worship.” Paul did not object to the sign. He didn’t downplay the sign. Nor did he want to change the sign.  

A family reported of a vacation spot where they go every year. They said there’s a sign above the ice cream counter that says, “Free hot dogs tomorrow.” They commented, “We have been going there for 10 years and they have never changed the sign.” 

Paul says, “Don’t change the sign. Just let me explain it to you. Over there is that altar to an unknown God. Let me tell you about that unknown God.” And then he tells the story of Jesus to the Athenians. 

Where do you and I find that God who is often unknown today? Where do we find the God revealed in Jesus? There are some clues in this story. 

LOOK WITHIN YOUR OWN HEART 

First of all, look within your own heart and spirit. Paul reminds us, “In God we live and move and have our being.” (vs. 28) 

A kindergarten teacher once asked the class, “What is the color of apples?” Mostly the answers came back “red.” A few said “green.” One student piped up and said, “The color is white.” The teacher responded, “Apples may be red or green or golden, but never white.” The student was adamant. “Look inside,” she said. 

To know God, we have to look inside. It has been said that those who control the “inner experience” of life are able to boost the quality of their lives. You want to find your soul? Look inside. The longest journey may be the shortest distance of all. 

There’s a lot of mush and romantic nonsense out there about solitude and silence and soul. But a few moments of quiet inward looking is truly rewarding. 

I like to walk in the early morning near our home. It’s a time of quiet and listening and praying for me. But I walk past others who have iPods fastened to their arms and earphones on their heads. They have to have some music when they walk, I guess. If I’m going to walk a half-hour in the early morning, I don’t want any other voices interfering. With the blare of outside voices, you simply can’t hear the still small voice inside. Again, Paul reminds us, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” 

LOOK RIGHT AROUND YOU 

Secondly, Paul says, look right around you, wherever you are. He says specifically, “God is not far from any of us.” (vs. 27) 

It is not necessary to go on some remote spiritual quest to find God. Have you ever noticed that the places that promise to bring peace to your soul are about as far away from where you are now as possible? Remember last summer I talked about a spot in Sedona, Arizona to which you can hike? Or if you want to understand something called “Transcendental Meditation,” you go to California. Paul says simply, look right here. Look right around you. 

There is a tribe in Uganda that grants each member a small area of land just outside the village. They have a private path to that area of land. It is a place of prayer and meditation for the owner. It’s called the “prayer place.” If someone becomes quarrelsome or out of sorts, they are gently reminded that the grass is growing on the unused path to their prayer place. 

Paul says God is not far from any of us. 

We have received sporadic email from our Zimbabwe team this past week. They’ve had to adapt to no running water and to no electricity for some extended times. One of the emails says this, “Our focus has been on the work we are doing and the relationships we are all building. The most enduring image I believe we have is the spiritual foundation of our hosts. We have learned more about faith from our hosts than we could have ever imagined. 

The native people of Nyadire have very little of the world’s goods. They do have occasional power and water outages. They have few opportunities for travel. But they have an enviable faith. They know a God who is right there with them in the villages. Again Paul says, “Look around you for the one true God.” 

LOOK AT JESUS 

Finally, Paul says look at Jesus. Look at the story and the life and the way that he promises. Luke tells us in the text, “Paul preached about Jesus and the resurrection.” (vs. 18) 

A colleague of mine was appointed to a large Methodist church in the Midwest. During the interview process he was asked. “What do you preach about? What’s the subject of your preaching?” He replied, “I preach about Jesus most of the time.” The questioner responded, “Oh. Well, don’t do that. We don’t do that here.” 

Paul essentially says, “From now on, life is not about spirituality. It is not about generic religion. Life is not about many different gods. Life is not even about faith formation or faith-based living. But life is about Christian formation and Christian-based living. The ultimate truth about life lies in this Jesus whom I preach.” 

Jesus is the single complete revealer of God. He walked among us. He showed us who God is. He shows us what God desires. This is not to negate other religions. They have some good pieces. Some of them have some large pieces of the truth. But Jesus is the complete picture. As Paul says elsewhere, “In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” 

A father was trying to read the newspaper one night, and was constantly interrupted by his young daughter. Finally he tore a sheet out of the paper with a map of the world on it. He tore it into small pieces. “Go into the other room,” he said, “and see if you can put this together.” 

She was back in a few minutes with all the pieces correctly fitted. “How did you finish so quickly?” he asked. She responded, “Daddy, on the other side was a picture of Jesus. When I got Jesus together, the world was together too.” 

Paul broke new ground in Athens that day. Some scoffed. But many believed. And some became followers of Jesus. 

This story reminds me that nothing in life is more exciting than being a disciple of Jesus. Leonard Sweet writes,

Once ushered into the bridegroom’s presence and party, you will never want to leave. One taste of God, even for a moment, and you will want it to last forever. 

You find life by leaning into Jesus, by finding his way in front of you, by experiencing that solid presence within, by doing what he asks: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless. 

Just ask the youth who returned from North Carolina last week whether they found Jesus in what they did. Just ask our Zimbabwe team who will begin returning this coming week. 

Find the one true God in your life by listening to, leaning into, and following Jesus. God is not vague or uncertain. Jesus has made God known.