Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.”

Acts 17:22-23

If one were to attach a descriptor to 2020, it could easily be: spinning out of control! I am reminded of the title to the 1961 musical made famous by Anthony Newley: Stop the World, I want to Get Off. 2020—exactly! Ever wonder who was in control through the months of uncertainty? The experts wavered—how was the virus transmitted? are surfaces contaminated? how close is close? do we need to wear masks? how long to quarantine? And we still don’t really have answers.

Come to think of it, control may be a figment of our imagination. We essentially have no control—not of our birth, the family we were born into, the country, our death. But we do know the one who does: All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16).

Of course, we like to think we control each day. Not so much though—think of all the interruptions you’ve experienced just today. And especially alarming to me, in this postmodern culture we live in even truth is up for grabs—not totally unlike the culture Paul was trying to preach Jesus to in Athens. The men of Athens were very religious, eager to debate the latest ideas (Acts 17:21). Many today claim to be “spiritual”, tolerant of all ideas including many ways to heaven. To them, the identity of the one true God of the universe is basically unknown and control lies in the hands of the individual.     

And so, ladies, we enter the debate with Paul this week to proclaim God: the only one in control. If you haven’t been exposed to Covid-19, you don’t get the virus; if you haven’t been exposed to the truth about the unknown God, you’ll not know Him.  

Nancy P