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“To An Unknown God”

Jason Longstreth
10/25/09

To An Unknown God

by Jason Longstreth

A little over seven years ago, Stephanie and I just took a very special vacation. To celebrate both of our birthdays and our tenth anniversary, we decided to do something we have never done before—we took a trip to Europe.  While we were there, we were able to see many amazing things.  In fact, before taking that trip it would have been hard for us to imagine seeing palaces that had over 1600 rooms or staying in a bed and breakfast that was one thousand years old! (Both of which we did, by the way.) 

But I guess some of the things we saw that had the most impact on me had to be the tremendous buildings that had been constructed in the name of “Christianity”— the great “churches” and cathedrals that dated back to the middle ages or beyond.  We were able to tour these magnificent structures—climbing the 287 steps to the top of the tower at St. Vitus’ cathedral in Prague or walking through the catacombs of St. Stephen’s cathedral beneath the city of Vienna. We saw beautiful paintings and sculptures, stained glass windows, and all kinds of precious metals and stones. It is almost mind-boggling to consider the amount of wealth contained in these buildings, or the time and craftsmanship that went into their construction and adorning. However, that is not really what I want to talk about. Instead, I want to share some of the thoughts we had as we viewed these tremendous works of art.

You see, as we were sitting at St. Stephen’s, waiting for the English tour to begin, Stephanie looked around her and made this statement: “It is all very beautiful, but does it make you feel any closer to God?” The answer, of course, was “No.” Why not? Because, as we looked around us what we saw was not a tribute to God, but to man. We saw what man could do with his two hands. And furthermore, we saw the kind of religion man invents when left to his own devices.

Those buildings were a place of worship, but not the kind of worship God ordained. Throughout the building there were statues and articles of gold and silver, altars before which men and women would bow down and offer their prayers.  It was done in the name of “Christianity,” but it is far more pagan than Christian.  It is full of idolatry and ritual.  And as I witnessed these acts around me, my stomach turned.  This was not what Jesus came to earth to establish. This was not the “true worship” He described to that Samaritan woman at the well. Instead, this was a perversion, a twisting of what He had come to do, of what He gave us. In fact, it barely even resembled New Testament worship in any way.

When I looked at those buildings and those “worshippers,” I could not help but think of Paul’s great sermon in Acts 17. When he said to those men of Athens, “I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you” (vv. 22-23). He went on to explain that God “does not dwell in temples made with hands” (v.24), He is not “like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man” (v.29), but instead He is the One in whom “we live and move and exist” (v.28). How the same message needs to be preached today!

You see, there are too many who have polluted the message of Christ to the point where Christianity has no power any more. They have replaced substance with substitutes—whether they are in the form of idols and a crucifix or social programs and recreation. They do not see what the Gospel is all about and they worship in ignorance.

Now, more than ever, we need to reach out to people with the good news of God.  We need to help them change their lives. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16)! Let us never forget that and let us take that message into the world! Ω

Jason Longstreth writes from Tampa, FL.