Lostness
“16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.”
What do you think of when Yale comes to mind?
If you're like me, you would think of high prestige, incredibly smart, very wealthy individuals. And you'd be right...to an extent. One thing that probably doesn't come to your mind, but is now embedded in mine is lostness.
At one point, Yale was founded as a ministry training outpost. In the early 1900s, it served as the epicenter of revival around the New Haven area, seeing many lost souls come to know Jesus.
However, that is not the case anymore.
Paul noted that the people of Athens served many gods. I would say that it is true today of most college universities as well. There are obvious gods like sex and substance abuse, but the ones that most students will deal with in their course of time in college appear in more subtle ways: the overwhelming desire to be accepted and forever ditch FOMO, bowing to the academia master when a B grade will not suffice when an A grade is most desirable, and figuring out where their identity lies.
Much like Paul, Brooke and I hope to go to Yale and tell people about the 'unknown god'--the one, true God that people have been searching their lives for, the One who fills the void when nothing else will, the God of all comfort and hope when brokenness and depression creep through dormitories. We believe that there are "bruised reeds" that are not broken and "smoldering wicks" that the Lord has not snuffed out (Isa. 42:3).
Like I mentioned, Yale was once a great revival outpost for people to hear the Gospel. We want to be agents of reconciliation and grace in helping Yale be that outpost once again. We want people to have a chance to know Jesus not as a "foreign god" but as a Friend, a Companion for life's journeys, and someone who they can heartily agree with when they read about remaining in Him when they read through John 15.
Will you believe with us?
Will you dream with us?
Will you pray with us?
Will you help send us to Yale?
