Acts 17:23
Stop.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Let your mind rest in the mystery of God. Be in awe of God’s presence and otherness.
Listen.
For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. – Acts 17:23
Reflect.
In our lesson this coming Sunday, we’ll hear about the apostle Paul in Athens. In this story, Paul finds himself among many idols in the city. He’s been teaching in the synagogue and among the philosophers of the city. In this part of the story, he simply begins to speak about what he knows of God.
One of the most interesting things to me about this story is how he centers his teaching on this altar to an unknown god. He doesn’t condemn the Athenians for their many idols. He doesn’t laugh at them for trying to worship what they can’t know. He doesn’t set himself up as a superior. He takes their experience and lets it stand. He witnesses into their reality.
That reality is ours as well. We worship an unknown God, even if we know far more about this God that the Athenians arguably did. Our God is mysterious and acts mysteriously. We can’t always know what is going on. Sometimes, that feels disorienting and frightening. Maybe that’s why the Athenians had so many idols for so many other gods – they were willing to try anything to make meaning of a life that sometimes feels so upside-down.
We don’t need any god other than the one God, the “Lord of heaven and earth” that Paul describes. We know that we can trust our Creator even when we can’t understand everything about this loving, active, not-fully-known God. We can rest in God’s mystery, just as we can find peace in difficult seasons of life, because we know we don’t have to understand everything about God to trust in God’s work in our lives.
Pray.
God, I know I don’t know everything about you and how you work. Sometimes it leaves me looking for other things to feel certain about. Let me trust in you fully, even when I don’t understand. Amen.
Carry On.
What are some things you put too much trust in, especially when you’re left feeling uncertain or afraid? How can you remind yourself to bring your fears and anxieties to God?