The Longing of the Soul and the Cry of Artਨਮੂਨਾ

The Cry of a People

Art isn't always the cry of a single soul; it's often the voice of an entire people. In Acts 17, Paul arrives in Athens and finds a city filled with Greek art and culture. As he preaches, he adopts a brilliant strategy. First, he acknowledges their spiritual search, seen in an altar "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD" (v. 23). Then, to connect with his audience, he quotes their art: their popular poetry.

Paul's quotation in Acts 17:28 weaves together lines from two distinct Greek poets. The first part, “‘For in him we live and move and have our being,’” comes from a poem to Zeus by Epimenides. The second, “‘As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring,’” is from another famous hymn to Zeus, written by Aratus.

What was Paul doing? He wasn't affirming their worship of Zeus. He was taking their art and saying, "You see, the longing your own poets expressed is correct! You sensed that there is a supreme divinity on whom we depend and whose offspring we are. You grasped a fragment of the truth, but you gave it the wrong name. Let me introduce you to the true God to whom this poetry, deep down, points. His name is YHWH, and He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ."

Art, then, becomes a reflection of a people's soul and the gods they've chosen to worship. That is why, if we want to understand the culture around us, we must learn to listen to its art. Not to conform to it, but to discern the longings behind the forms, sounds, and colors. The cry of every people still echoes, and the gospel is the ultimate answer to their cry for meaning.

Your challenge for today is to pay attention to a popular song, movie, or image. Ask God in prayer, "Lord, what longing are these people expressing here?" and see the world with the heart of a missionary.