Brian’s Weblog

Today I explored Athens, and spent a considerable amount of time at the summit of the Aeropagus, otherwise known as Mars Hill. The only thing I knew about Mars Hill before today was that it is the name of the church in Grand Rapids, Michigan led by Rob Bell, who is an unorthodox, controversial Christian leader. I think Rob is very cool in fact.

Anyway, Mars Hill, which sits just below the Acropolis, is where the Apostle Paul is said to have first preached the Gospel. In my three treks up the hill today, including to watch the sunset and then again after dinner for rest and meditation, I felt I came down a little more enlightened each time.

Mars Hill is a paradox. Mars is the planet of war and aggression. Yet Paul chose this spot to teach people about love. I suppose his message was also that they didn´t have to worship the Greek Gods. Remember, people worshiped the gods back then to please and even impress them, and ensure success in various areas of Life. Interestingly, not much has changed, except our gods. Today our gods are our cars, our houses, our jobs (and bosses). We are still trying to please others to ensure our success. However, perhaps Paul´s message was that all this is unnecessary. Instead, the only thing we need to do is to love ourselves and others. God is love.

I´m not sure we´ve heard Paul´s, and Jesus´ message.

Today Mars Hill is a busy place, day and night. Especially in the evening, after the flocks of tourists have vanished, Mars Hill draws people in. It´s no longer a place where people are tried for crimes, as they were in Paul´s day. Instead, it´s a place where friends meet up to talk and maybe have some drinks. And there are many couples making out up there on the summit. So, maybe after all, at least for some, Paul did transform Mars Hill from meaning war to meaning love.