Our first full day tour in Greece was filled with exciting sites. First we stopped by the Olympic Stadium, which was personally my favorite (as is all the sports related sites and topics). It's amazing how the Olympics bring unity within a team and also within the whole world; wars are halted and animosity turns into a friendly, competitive spirit. Countries come together to celebrate a time-honored tradition that dates back to 776 BC- 339 AD for the ancient games and 1894 to the present . It's truly amazing what sports can do for an athletes self-esteem and a country's pride. Patriotism is never greater than during the Olympic Games. It is truly a magical event.
Our second stop was the infamous Athens' Acropolis. After viewing this magnificent site, I can understand how Athens became the envy of every Greek nation, a world treasure, and a model city to look upon. The Romans admired Athens so much that they structured their city, architecture, and lifestyle after the Greeks. Eventually, they viewed themselves as greater than the Greeks and more equal to the Greek gods that they adapted as their own Roman Gods. What struck me the most was the burial place of Philopappus, a prince during the roman empire, that was on the adjacent hill of the acropolis and was on the same level as the Parthenon, the temple dedicated to Nike Athena. He thought he should be buried on the same level as the patron goddess of the city because he has impacted the city just as much.
This is a stark contrast in the Christian way of worship. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2.8-10)." Paul was concerned with the Emperor worship in Ephesus, but commended the resident Christians for keeping their faith and humility. In Pergamon, we witnessed the grandeur of emperor worship and the persecution the Christians must of faced during these times.
Every monday, the Baylor Track and Field team has a devotional that not only lifts our spirits and motivates us to work hard, but reminds us that using our talents and abilities glorifies God who gave us these gifts. It makes running more sacred and our victories more sweet because it is for a greater purpose than ourselves. In track and life in general, it's easy to become arrogant and complacent. However, when you live and run for God you continually strive to better yourself to please him and you humble yourself to give gratitude.
What Christians worship is very different from what the ancient Greeks worshiped, but isn't it interesting that we all place emphasis on prayer and the importance of holy sites? I like the verse you quoted from Ephesians, it really emphasizes why Christianity is different from other religions.
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