As I was reading a news post recently, it reminded me of my first visit to Athens, Greece, in 1970. I was blessed to return there in 2019. We left Atlanta and flew to Istanbul, Turkey, where we caught a connecting flight to Athens, Greece. We arrived at our hotel late. After enjoying a delicious meal the staff had waiting for us, we all went to our rooms to settle in and get some much-needed rest. I opened the curtains to see what kind of view we had from our room, and the picture that accompanies this post is what I saw. Even though Marlene and I were very tired, I left the curtains open for a long time to enjoy being back in Greece and soak in the view.

The next day, we made our way to the Acropolis, to the place the Apostle Paul visited nearly two thousand years ago. As impressive as the ruins are today, one can only imagine what they must have looked like in their prime. As Paul walks around, looking at all the temples and statues to the various gods, he happens to see one with the inscription, “To the unknown god.”

In the 1950s, approximately 90% of Americans identified as Christian. The 1960s marked the beginning of a decline that has fluctuated from year to year, but today that number is approximately 62%. While the most significant decline is among the youth, the fact is that it has affected every age group, from young to old.

Like the ancient Athenians, people are worshipping many kinds of gods. However, from what I observe in my travels, what they have discovered does not satisfy the deepest part of their soul. They are searching for something, perhaps to the point of looking for a god who is yet unknown to them. Like Paul, we have a golden opportunity to let them know Who they are searching for. The 1st-century church changed the world. I believe the 21st-century church can also.