And Then There Was Athens

Wednesday of the 6th Week of Easter

Acts 17:15, 22-18:1

In his long career as an evangelist, St. Paul had some great success stories: Ephesus, Antioch, Corinth.

But then there was Athens.

Even if it was past its prime, Athens was still one of the great cities of the ancient world, and St. Paul knew it. Notice how he adapted the gospel to his listeners, using images and ideas familiar to them. He even quoted Greek poets.

Despite all that, the results seem underwhelming. Most people scoff at him. Very few are interested, and even they say things like, “We’ll hear more about this some other time.”

Putting myself in his place, I can’t help but feel a little discouraged. Maybe that’s because I’ve faced my own ‘Athens… people I’d love to see come to Christ, but who resist my best efforts. Maybe you have your own ‘Athens,’ too.

But see how Luke ends the story: Paul “left Athens and went to Corinth.” In other words, he doesn’t sit around blaming himself or getting angry. He moves on and finds success in Corinth.

I think this reminds us of a couple of very important things:

First, God doesn’t call us to be successful. He calls us to be faithful. St. Paul certainly was. So are we, every time we proclaim Christ by word or action to the best of our ability, no matter where we are.

Second, even though we may think we’re having little effect, don’t forget that God is in control and makes things happen in His own way and time. Remember Dionysius, one of the few converts in Athens? Tradition says he went on to become a bishop! In fact. to this day there is a stunning cathedral in Athens dedicated to St. Dionysius.

So, let us always pray for success, hope for success, and work hard for success. But let’s leave success in the hands of God. He will never fail. And with Him, no act of faithfulness is ever wasted.

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