Our first allegiance

Today was our second day in the beautiful city of Athens and what a beautiful day it was. The sun was shining and it was warm enough to go without a jacket for part of the day.

Yesterday we got a view of the Athens from atop the acropolis where we got a look at the Parthenon, several temples, and the Areopagus (Mars Hill). Today we started off by first exploring the agora. This is the open space which would have served as a marketplace. Over time so many ceremonial buildings and monuments would have taken over this space that a second--more commercial agora--was built. Both of these are in the shadow of the Parthenon.

Near the ceremonial agora (marketplace) was the Temple of Hephaestus which was the best preserved temple anywhere in Greece and an impressive site. While we were near the temple we sat down for a teaching session. From this location we had a view of the Agora and Areopagus where Paul would have been sharing the gospel and the this strange idea of the resurrection (Acts 17). Paul was all alone in Athens (Timothy and Silas were no longer with him). He was definitely in the minority. Paul engages a purely pagan audience, using philosophical references they would have understood and points them to the resurrected Jesus. Some mocked him, some were curious, yet a few received the gospel. Some question the “success” of his ministry in Athens. We don’t have a “Letter to the Athenians” to tell us, but Paul did convert a few. He was faithful and it bore fruit.

The same could be said for the Christians at our next stop--The 2nd Greek Evangelical Church. There are only about 30,000 protestants in this entire country of 11 million. Here we worshiped with a vibrant and healthy congregation of about 250. What a joy to see so many children and young people worshipping together. When their service was over people stayed a long time to greet eachother, hug, and share their joy. We witnessed a church which is very much alive in a city with many challenges.

Protestant Christians are looked at as basically a cult in a country which is 97% Greek Orthodox. For these evangelicals they have had to deny part of what it is to be considered Greek. To be Greek is to be Greek Orthodox and to reject that is to reject, on some level, your family and culture. Pastor George talked in his sermon about how family can become an idol and how our first allegiance is to Jesus. This church is very active in the city and are planting seeds of the gospel. As a people in the minority, proclaiming the gospel they are following the example of Paul in the very same neighborhood--what a beautiful thing!

After lunch we went to the Archeological Museum and saw household artifacts, bronze and marble statues and many other amazing archeological finds which helped us understand the sophistication of Greek culture even centuries before Christ. These were some of the most spectacular finds from all over ancient Greece.
We were also grateful for some free time to walk the streets of the oldest neighborhoods which still follow the same street plan as they did millennia ago.

It is hard to believe we only have one more full day in Greece. Our hearts and minds are so full from all that we have been learning and experiencing. We are looking forward to Corinth tomorrow and praying for another dry and sunny day.

- Cory