University Presbyterian Church - Chapel Hill, NC

God Known or Unknown?

Acts 17:22-34

Carol Gregg

University Presbyterian Church

April 27, 2008

I’ve learned a new term since I’ve been here in Chapel Hill; the term is “pit preacher.” I’m sure most of you know the term and know that it is real, but if you have any doubt you can look it up on Wikipedia. If something is on Wikipedia, you can be sure of its veracity! For the benefit of those who may be new or not closely associated with the University, “pit preacher” refers to evangelists who preach in front of the Student Stores on the UNC campus in an area slightly lower than the surrounding plaza, hence in the “pit”. The preacher who is most well known, and who is considered “the” pit preacher is Gary Birdsong, who was relocated to another area since he did not follow the University’s rules. Not surprisingly, there are other evangelists who have taken his spot in the pit.

The pit preachers I have heard are energetic in their presentations and very willing to engage whoever will listen. They tend to have a very inclusive view of sin so that everyone within earshot will feel the sting of their words. When I walk by such a preacher, I confess that I am struck by a recurring fantasy. I imagine a dueling preacher event, one preacher with their inclusive view of sin and another with an inclusive view of divine love. The two could preach and debate their different views. And if I could convince my husband, Brian, to take on the debate, it would be entertaining as well because he does a great imitation of the old time rhythmic preachers.

No matter what you think of what is said in UNC’s pit, I think it is wonderful that we live in a place where people can freely and publically share their convictions. The academic setting is a particularly good place for such conversations. In today’s reading from Acts, we see that the Apostle Paul found himself in a similar setting and in his own way was a “pit preacher.”

Paul, Silas and Timothy were on a missionary journey when they encountered some problems while they were in Thessalonica. They went on to the next town and trouble followed. The disciples, wanting to protect Paul, sent him ahead to Athens where he waited until the others could join him. Athens was a university town. Plato founded an academy there several hundred years earlier and the presence of the academy created a strong intellectual climate. It was a town of philosophers, debates, and new ideas. Since he was in a new area, Paul explored the city, and found that it was also full of idols and alters, including one labeled “To an unknown god.”

After taking in the sites, Paul started sharing the story of Jesus, “with whoever happened to be there” first in the synagogue and then in the marketplace. (Acts 17:17) Some of his listeners were intrigued by his ideas and recognized them as something new, so they asked to hear more. They took him to the Areopagus and it is there that Paul gives the speech that is the reading for this morning.

Paul’s message employs skillful rhetoric. He first affirms the people “I see that you are religious,” (Acts 17: 22) then piques their interest by referring to the alter to an unknown god and in doing so finds ways of connecting with the philosophical thinking of the day. He finds points of commonality with his audience, affirms their views, quoted their philosophers, and then finally addresses what he sees as missing.

The common ground that Paul finds with his hearers is a general revelation of God. God is the creator of the world who gives life to all creatures. God doesn’t live in alters or idols and is not served by the things people do. There is no need to feed God with offerings of food, but we have a human need to search for God. Paul claims that we are made in such a way that we will long for God; we a capacity for relationship with God. He uses the word “grope.” He claims that people will “grope” for God reaching out in various directions and will find God because the divine is all around us and even within us.

In our day some speak of this as general revelation or natural theology. It means we can gain a sense of who God through such means as experiencing the beauties of our world or reflecting on the good in our lives. This revelation is not very specific, but it is real.

A couple of weeks ago, the PCM undergraduates and I went to the beach for a retreat. We talked about scripture and worshipped, but we also played. One of the midnight games was a murder mystery. The object of the game is to identify the criminal who in the darkness has been committing murders. The players move about in a pitch-black room, groping the dark, knowing that both murderer and victim are unknown yet also within reach. There is suspense in knowing that culprit is very near and wondering what will happen next and the fun is trying to figure out the mystery when the lights come on.

Our search for God as we look at the natural world is sometimes a bit like groping in the dark. We do experience God, but only in a very general way. We need to see more to have a clearer understanding.

In Paul’s conversation with the Athenians, he moved from speaking of God “in whom we live move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) to God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Paul claimed that the time of the “unknown god” is past so that we no longer need to grope in the darkness. God’s revelation in Jesus Christ is much more specific or “special” than the general revelation referenced earlier. In the life, death and resurrection of Christ, God’s love is revealed.

Clearly, God wants to be known, not unknown.

At this point, some of Paul’s audience began to part company. Some laughed at the idea of the resurrection of the dead. It is strange to think that life might follow death or that only as we lose our lives will we find them. The concept of resurrection is directly opposed to what can be observed in nature. Here, according to Acts, Paul does his best to present what he knows to be true and the reception is mixed at best. A few accepted his teaching, but this is a far cry from Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost when 3,000 were baptized. In Athens, it was a few that came to know God.

Paul’s invitation in this speech is that his hearers repent, or in other words that they change direction. He wants them to turn from a diffuse, ambiguous worship of an unknown god, to the worship of God who is known in Jesus Christ. Paul called for a change in heart and a change in direction. His invitation is not just to ancient Athenians, but also to any of us who grope for God in the darkness. We are invited to recognize God as near, revealed, resurrected.

Does that mean that this is a one-time event? Turn to Christ, know God, end of story? If we recognize God in Christ, will we be free of that experience of groping in the darkness? Not likely. As much as God is revealed, as much as we understand and know of God, I think there is much more that we do not know. It is as if what we see in Christ is the tip of the iceberg, and beneath the surface, there is much more than we can imagine. Our limited human understanding cannot fathom all the mystery and wonder that is God. In his lyrical passage on God’s love, Paul claims that “now we see in a mirror dimly (or as another translation says a riddle), but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully” (I Cor 13:12) At best, we know the perfect God imperfectly, as if looking through a cloudy glass, but we can look forward to a day when we see God face to face.

Our patriarch John Calvin, with his usual bluntness, comments on this passage in this way “Man with all his shrewdness is as stupid about understanding by himself the mysteries of God, as [a donkey] is incapable of understanding musical harmony.”[1]

Yes, we do turn to Christ. Yes, God is revealed, but the story continues. From time to time, we still grope and wonder about circumstances in our lives and in our world or even about God’s own character. As we wonder and explore, most often we discover something new about God or about our relationship with God. The new knowledge or new discovery then calls us to new actions. As we gain a deeper understanding of God in Christ, we may need to change our opinions or our behaviors or both. If we did not continue to grope and learn and grow, then our faith would not mature from the point that we were confirmed as young teenagers. In his letters, Paul speaks of the mature and immature faith, so his speech here does not call simply for a one-time action; it is the start of a life long journey.

Two weeks from today, UNC seniors will graduate. A month after that, high school seniors will graduate. Graduation affirms that you know something; you have successfully completed a course of study. College graduates may be fluent in Spanish, conversant in the details of the American Revolution or well informed on marketing strategies. High school graduates are able to write a coherent research paper and know the difference between an amoeba and an atom. With all their accumulated knowledge and skill, and with all their achievements and accolades, I hope graduates also know what they do not know. Graduation is marked by a ceremony called “commencement”, a word meaning beginning. The completion of formal studies lays the groundwork for continual learning and growth, a lifelong process.

Moving from the unknown to the known is a good, wonderful, recurring process not only in our intellectual lives, but also in our spiritual lives.

It is good news that God made us capable of searching, learning and growing.

It is good news that God, loves us, want to be known, and is revealed in Jesus Christ.

It is good news that we have a lifetime to grow in faith and love.

Amen.