Paul strolls around Athens looking at all the beautiful architecture and art and shrines, no doubt intrigued and mesmerized by the city, by its history and beauty, by the beauty of its people. He notices this one altar in particular and inscribed on it is, “to an unknown god”.
He must have mused to himself. You can almost see him smile, because he knows what they do not know. They worship a god they don’t know. But Paul – he knows God. He has seen Him. He has been filled and engulfed by His Spirit. And He just can’t wait to tell the Athenians about Him, because God is not some distant deity who resides in some fancy dwelling – but rather He dwells in us. His Spirit fills us and all of that around us.
Paul says to himself, “they just don’t know it yet. But they will.“
How many of us, today, have this same inscription written in our hearts?
To an unknown god…
You go through the motions, and you don’t build a relationship with Him. You don’t really know Him. He seems distant, if even there at all.
I know that many of us have felt this from time to time, especially during the last few months. Maybe you thought you knew God, but then COVID-19 happened and now you’re not so sure.
You’re lost, unsure about what is next.
Or maybe, just maybe, your relationship with Christ has blossomed throughout this, and you know Him in an even deeper, more powerful way.
For most of us, we fall somewhere in the middle.
I think the most powerful thing to do during these times is to simply take it literally one day at a time, and encounter what the day has to offer – good and bad. And in these moments, look for God and what He has to reveal to you. And keep that hope, and that faith, and that perseverance in His plan.
And if you don’t understand, that’s okay. If you’re concerned and frightened, that’s okay. I’ve seen numerous slogans recently that say something like, “It’s okay to not be okay.” It may sound a little cliché or corny, but it is really true.
You don’t have to have things figured out. In fact, we can’t. And Jesus says this in the Gospel, that, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”
We cannot bear the big picture that God sees. We cannot comprehend it, and we cannot burden ourselves with trying to figure it out. We can only do what He allows, we can only see what He shows us, we can only hear what He speaks to us.
Jesus reveals Himself to us, bit by bit over time. He fills us with His Spirit. He is not some unknown god, but He is a God that is known, and wired into our very heart and soul. And if we open ourselves up to Him, the more we will be filled with His love and grace.
