The Areopagus

One of the great things about Greece is that it is home to vast amounts of sites that can be located in the Bible. It really does make the Biblical narrative come alive as you imagine the Apostle Paul, and others walking in and around where you are standing. Below is a picture that shows the Areopagus. Many will know it is where Paul delivered his famous speech to the Athenians as recorded by Luke in the book of Acts. For your viewing and reading pleasure, here is both the picture and the speech. 

Acts 17:22-34

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for

“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

as even some of your own poets have said,

“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said,“We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.                                                                                                          

Exploring Athens...

 

I had the pleasure of welcoming my sister to the city of Athens. It was a short visit, but in such a short space of time, we managed to see a vast amount of the capital of Greece. I think that in the last four days, I have seen more of Athens than in the last ten months! With many days spent walking round the numerous archaeological sites, visiting the tightly packed gift shops of Plaka, eating in many tasty tavernas, and even going to a ballet in the Panathenaic stadium, all in all it was a fun time. It's always great when people come to visit you but it's even more special when it's one of your family members. For me, as I draw nearer to my departure from Greece, it provided me with time to reflect on some of the past ten or so months, a time I know has been deeply transformational.

As my sister and I set out to explore Athens, it was notably going to be a day requiring lots of water and lots of sun-cream! Over the past few days, the temperatures have risen quite significantly, and now they are reaching the mid to late thirties. This is something I've been told will continue to happen as we enter into the month of July. The good thing is that water is very cheap in Greece, and you can buy a bottle for 50cent at one of the many kiosks that litter the roads.

I'm pleased to report that as well as seeing many of the archaeological sites, I also had the privilege of introducing my sister to some of the many foods which I've encountered whilst being in Athens. It is one of the things Greeks do very well and one of the things I will miss upon my return to the UK.

Our final evening was spent at the Panathenaic stadium where we witnessed for the first time a performance being shown in the venue. It is a fantastic stadium and is full of history. It is the location where the first modern Olympic games were held. If you ever get a chance to visit the city, it is definitely worth the 3euros ticket price.

As we parted company at the airport this morning, I couldn't help but be sad at how quickly the time went. I was extremely thankful however to have been able to share not only the city with my sister, but also people, places and memories of my time in Greece, memories no doubt that will stay with me for a long time. Thank you Emma for a great time!