“Athens: A City Of Restless Hearts!” (Acts 17:16-21).
In his “Confession,” St. Augustine of Hippo prayed the famous most quoted line, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Someone has said different names for “our restless heart” include “our search for meaning, our desire for significance, the fuel that drives our accumulation of money and power…” These other names pale into insignificance because they do not find rest in the Lord.
The Athen mentioned in the text paints a good picture of a city with restless hearts seeking the Lord in various places and in different ways.
- The city was full of idols. Here, we see restless souls seeking rest through different gods.
- Jews seeking the Lord through (a possible syncretistic) Judaism.
- God-fearing Greeks. These Greeks who were attracted to Judaism and its monotheistic belief, but they were not fully converted to Judaism. These ones could not find rest in the Lord through partial conversion.
- There was also a group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers – always ready to debate any new idea. In its simplest, Epicurean philosophy – named after Epicurus – “was a system of atheism, and taught men to seek as their highest aim a pleasant and smooth life.” Stoic philosophy on its part is designed “to make us more resilient, happier, more virtuos and more wise – and as a result, better people, better parents and better professionals…” It has been strongly stated that Paul was a Stoic as his writings contain considerable stoicism.
To confirm that the Athenians were actually restless hearts seeking desperately for a place of rest, it is stated in parenthesis, “(All the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)”
Some of the philosophers called Paul a babbler, and others remarked that he seemed to be advocating foreign gods. But Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
The good news is that Paul’s preaching caught their attention, and they brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus. The Areopagus was the place where philosophical ideas were debated.
My friend, God has put restlessness in our hearts so that we should search for him to find rest. He is not far away from us. He has made himself available to us in his Son, our resurrected Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today’s Athen is where you live.
We should preach this message to all itching ears. At first, we may be seen to be babblers presenting some foreign gods with strange new ideas. Do not be discouraged. Your strength is in knowing that all hearts are restless until they find rest in God through Christ.
Weekend prayer: Holy Spirit, guide us through partial revelation to find rest in Christ the final Revelation. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
16/05/2025.