What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you. (Acts 17:23)
As a young Helen Keller was learning about the world, she met a famous preacher who introduced her to Christianity. Helen exclaimed, “I always knew he was there, but I didn’t know his name!”
The Athenians who received Paul’s message must have felt as Helen Keller did. Amongst their many shrines was an altar inscribed “To an Unknown God” (Acts 17:23), ensuring that no deity was excluded from worship. The people in Athens were intrigued by Paul’s preaching, but his novel message seemed odd to them. Some thought Paul was preaching two different gods: “Jesus” and a goddess, “Anastasis” (“Resurrection”).
Whereas once Paul would have regarded these gentile idolaters as impure and under God’s unwavering condemnation, he now regarded them as children of God awaiting the light of truth. So, guided by “the Spirit of truth” that Jesus promised in today’s Gospel (John 16:13), Paul tailored his speech in a way they could understand. He was not harsh and didn’t condemn them. Instead, he used their own culture and their own faith vocabulary as a springboard for teaching them about the one Creator God and the Redeemer, Christ. Paul didn’t win everyone over that day, but a few followed him, and seeds were planted in others, who asked to hear him again.
In our own day, many people are like these Athenians. They are hungry for spiritual things, but they have little knowledge of the one true God. They may have heard about Jesus and his resurrection but have never understood how this message applies to them. They may even have been brought up in the Church, yet never grasped the depth of God’s love for them.
And so, God is calling you. You are part of his plan to ignite a fire in hearts that are seeking—even in hearts that don’t yet know they are seeking the Lord. You don’t need Paul’s oratorical skills. Your own words, spoken in love, can be life-changing—especially when they are reinforced by the evidence of your own life. So go ahead and tell God you want to cooperate with him. Perhaps he’ll use your efforts to encourage someone at just the right moment!
“Holy Spirit, lead me to those seeking truth just as you led St. Paul.”
Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14; John 16:12-15