SPEAKER: Dr Tan Keng San
MESSAGE: Where is the Areopagus today?
TEXT: Acts 17:16-34
This episode in Paul’s life at the Areopagus in Athens is revealing in many ways. We see Paul in action as he engaged the people he met in the city, the marketplace, and the synagogue. Dr Tan Kang San reminded us that our present society is not that different from the Areopagus where Paul boldly preached. Indeed, if anything, people have become more religious than ever before, as recent surveys suggest. As religiosity increases, it is natural to expect followers of each religious system to protect and defend their faith.
How does this affect our Christian witness?
- A religious conversation therefore does not take place in a neutral context. For instance, the history of Christianity includes many periods of wars and injustices. These incidents influence negatively the way the church is viewed even today. We need to learn how to engage with listeners more sensitively.
- Paul knew what the Jews believed; he could engage knowledgeably with the Epicureans and Stoics. We need to learn what others in our community believe.
- Paul appealed to common ground ie, he presented God as the God of all nations, as all people came from a common ancestor.
- We need to actively build bridges across various faith communities. We need to recognize our common humanity and learn to put away fears and racial prejudices.
- Other religious communities are growing in number. Christianity seems to have reached a plateau in global numbers although it still has more believers than other major religions.
- Many more people claim to be religious but have rejected ties or formal association especially in the so-called ‘Christian’ west.
- In Asia, only 13% of the religious population knows or have met a Christian. This means a large number of people do not really know what a Christian is, what he believes, and how he lives his life.
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| Dr Tan Kang San and his wife Loun Ling |
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