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Recently I indulged in a spot of navel-gazing in Greece.
I travelled to Delphi, one of antiquity's most sacred locations, and there -
ta-DAAAAH!!!! - I beheld the world's belly button!
I kid you not. The clear inscription on the beehive-shaped carved monument
declared it to be "THE NAVEL-STONE OF THE EARTH".
Hardly a metre high, it seemed a little under-sized, given the global scale
of its task. But for the ancient (and some modern) Greeks, this was the real
thing.
For them, Delphi, with its temple of Apollo, was the undisputed centre of the
earth, the home of the famous Delphic Oracle. The navel-stone stood next to
Apollo's statue in the temple's inner sanctum, where the priestess sat on a
bronze tripod over a natural fissure in the ground.
Apparently the priestess - called Pythia - got stoned on the vapours rising
out of the earth, assisted by chewing laurel leaves. She then began to speak
in strange tongues on behalf of Apollo, who in turn mediated the wisdom of
Zeus. Temple priests then interpreted her utterances to the petitioners. My
guide book suggested the divine revelations, filtered through these various
stages, were often ambiguous and vague - much like today's horoscopes.
Nevertheless, Greeks from all over - as well as mythical figures - sought the
wisdom of the gods from the oracle. Few major decisions would be made by
military generals, or civic leaders of the city-states or of the widely-flung
Greek colonies, without consulting Delphi. Cadmus sought the oracle's advice
after his daughter Europa had been abducted and raped by Zeus. Laius
consulted the oracle about his wife's barrenness, initiating the tragedy in
which his resulting offspring Oedipus unwittingly married his own mother.
Mythology tells us that Apollo, son of Zeus, founded the oracle to mediate to
mankind his divine father's wisdom and decisions. He chose this spot on the
steep sides of the wooded and rocky mountains of Parnassus, overlooking the
Corinthian Gulf, a good three-hour journey by road from Athens today. But to
gain control over the earth's navel, he had to kill a guardian dragon named
Python, from which his priestess gained the title of Pythia.
Of all the Olympian gods, Apollo was most closely connected with oracles. He
taught mankind the art of prophecy. He was the god of light and of the sun,
and the overcomer of darkness. He was the revealer of men's futures, the one
who revealed hidden things, personal or political. Each winter Apollo was
believed to retreat to a mythical land in the far north where the sun always
shone, returning to Greece in the spring, bringing light and sun with him.
Apollo was also the deity who shaped the human destiny, the great physician
and healer of humans and nature, bestowing fruitfulness on fauna and flora
alike. He was the leader of the Muses and the patron of the arts, including
music, dancing and poetry, inspiring mortals with creative imagination.
Apollo embodied eternal youth, was the patron god of youth, and was present
at the rites of adolescent initiation into manhood.
We can see obvious parallels here with the Son of God revealed throughout the
Hebrew and Christian scriptures. We could of course interpret Apollo simply
as a counterfeit of the true Light of the World. C.S.Lewis however believed
some Greek myths could be seen to contain pre-evangelistic elements pointing
the way to Biblical truths.
The Games
Further up the hillside above the pillared ruins of Apollo's temple today is
one of best preserved ancient stadiums in the Greek world. Complete with
spectator terraces and an oval track about 250 metres in length, this was the
venue of the Pythian Games, celebrating Apollo's mythical killing of the
Python. Like the ancient Olympic Games held in honour of Zeus, these musical
and athletic contests were held every four years from the sixth century BC,
among all the Greek city-states.
The modern Olympic Games, to be held in Athens and other Greek venues August
next year, were the reason for my visit to Greece. Since 1972, YWAM has been
present at each of these global celebrations to bring a gospel witness to the
gathering of the nations, many of which have been closed to traditional
mission work. We are preparing to mobilise several thousand young people
during the 2004 Games. Some will officially assist the Olympic Committee in
hosting duties and other capacities, others will visit the four other Olympic
sites and some of the thousands of Greek isles dotting the Aegean Sea.
These Games of course carry a special emotional appeal as they return us to
the birthplace of both the ancient and the modern Olympics. They remind us of
the profound influence Greek thinking has had on us all. For better or for
worse, Greek thinking gave us democratic ideals, Platonic dualism, the
language of the New Testament, and the humanism and rationalism of the
Enlightenment. Greek influence has shaped modern education as well as the
whole Orthodox Christian world. Not to mention our English language ("Say
any word and I'll tell you it's Greek root...")!
Evaluate
We in YWAM believe this is a significant moment to evaluate Greek influence
on global culture and the spiritual realities of our world. How does it
compare with the Hebrew/Biblical worldview? So we have called a Prayer Summit
for YWAMers worldwide and friends of YWAM to seek the True God of Light and
Revelation for his wisdom and understanding. And what more significant
location than Delphi, the cultural and religious capital of Greece, where
heads of state regularly visit, and Fortune 500 company executives attend
spiritual retreats in the European Cultural Centre?
When in 2001 the YWAM Global Leadership Team first began looking towards this
Olympic outreach, a deep and spontaneous spirit of prayer and intercession
broke out, lasting for three hours! We realised we were touching something
deep in God's heart. We sensed we should not take lightly the influence of
Greek thinking through the centuries.
The current YWAM president, Frank Naea, and his successor John Dawson, and
others including Cindy Jacobs, will join us in the Delphi Prayer Summit, to
be held in the same European Cultural Centre, starting on the evening of
October 12, finishing with breakfast on the 15th, 2003. The Prayer Summit
will immediately follow the annual YWAM International Youth Workers
Gathering, also in Delphi, Oct 8-12. A registration form is available on line
at www.sst.org/delphi/registration.html, along with information about
accommodation in local hotels or at camping grounds.
Why not join us to explore how the dualistic Greek view of man has shaped and
continues to shape church and society? And how this compares with a wholistic
Hebrew and Biblical perspective?
For the Hebrews thought very differently from the Greeks about many things.
Including where the world's belly button really was.
One translation of Ezekiel 5:5 gives that honour to Jerusalem!
Till next week,
Jeff Fountain
YWAM Europe
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