In Athens there was a shrine to the Unknown God during the time of Christ. Paul took the
opportunity to speak there once, using the shrine as an introduction point to his discourse about the
Messiah; an approach that is often used as a model for culturally relevant ministry. Here is a
short story I did that is an adaptation of the story behind the alter to the Unknown God. Some
of the traditions and people mentioned are real, some are not, but none of this is based on any facts that I
know for certain.
"It was the spring of the year, the time when the lambs are born and the
shepherds begin to take their flocks out to the spring pastures on the farther hills. Our
soldiers were preparing for the wars that would begin again with Sparta as soon as the snows had melted
off the high passes. The winter had come early and hard, interrupting the fighting over trade
routes through Peloponesia last year, and our warriors were ready to earn some glory on the battle field
after doing little but menial work and weapon's practice for the duration of winter. It was at
this time that the plague struck.
"I should introduce myself, as it behooves any storyteller of either truth or craft
to establish in the minds of those he entertains credence for his story. I am Aristalichus,
premier of the Athenian Council. I was born in Athens fifty-four winters ago, and am
considered old enough to have gained a degree of wisdom. I have had the position of premier
for the last three winters, and after one more I shall step down as the charter of government drawn up by
our forefathers demands, and let a new one take my place. Ad premier, I bear the
responsibility for all that my city does and all that happens to it. I am a deeply religious man,
paying homage to all the gods, both those of Olympus, and those from afar. Many other in the
city share this virute, and I say with pride that there are few gods who we do not honor with a shrine or
alter somewhere in out fair city. However, even those few who we have missed, through the
human ability to err, can exert power over us.
"But of course, you wish to hear of the plague, not our religious
practices. However, you will see the purpose of bringing into the story this element when you
hear of the power of the Unknown God. As I said before, it was the spring of the year when
the plague struck. It came to use from the bowels of the earth, Charon's kingdom, borne by
the rats he uses as his messengers. We know not who the first victim was, only that there
many of our fighting men had succumbed within days. By the end of the first quarter-moon
after the first case, a third of our warriors and many of the townspeople had contracted the
disease. In haste, we sent diplomats to Sparta to sue for peace, for we knew that war was not
something we could afford at the time.