Paul tried his best to reach out to the philosophers in Athens. He used ideas and language they were used to, and he searched for common ground between his gospel and their religious ideas. But in the end, he was unsuccessful. With the exception of a couple of individuals, they were unimpressed and drifted away. The teachings of Jesus have rarely appealed to the worldly-wise, clever, or powerful. The call to humility, love, service, and vulnerability is just a bit too much - it is not compatible with what we mistakenly call 'normal' life. Let us avoid making the gospel too easy and costless.

It would be nice to know the answer to so many questions - if only Jesus were here! That is probably what many early Christians said (and what we sometimes say). But Jesus is here - he left us the Spirit of truth to guide us into the deeper truth. This spirit is the Lord's gift to every Christian, not just a select few. That is good news for us - there are so many voices in this world shouting conflicting messages. When we quiet ourselves and turn deep within our soul God's spirit will guide us to a deeper understanding of the truth. This is the gift to every Christian - let us not ignore or waste it. What better teacher or guide could we have than Jesus?