areopogus volume 1 Introduction

The Areopagus was the name given by the people of Athens to a Hill just outside their city. Two thousand years ago, the leading men of Athens would gather on that hill to discuss matters that seemed important to them and their society. They wouldn’t always agree and they were certainly not ground breaking geniuses by any means. But they would struggle with the major issues of their time to the best of their ability.
This little newsletter is an attempt to recreate the atmosphere of that Athenian hilltop. Those of us who have begun this venture, Bernie, Peeler, Vince Jewell and myself (Darren Koch), are not great wise men and we don’t have positions of power in the centre of the city. We live and work on the outskirts… both geographically but also systemically. We are beyond the city walls and this gives us a certain perspective on the major issues of our time.
We feel a growing alarm about the direction of our world. Our planet seems to be dying but our society seems obsessed with filling our lives with more and more unnecessary possessions. One only has to look at the faces in a suburban shopping centre to realise that not many of us are truly happy.
But what is to be done? We know of no simple solutions to the social, spiritual, and environmental crises confronting our generation. How do we build an ethic of life in a culture obsessed with death? How do we follow Jesus of Nazareth when our churches seem so bereft of life? How do we reconnect with our souls in the midst of a society driven by the clock and the dollar? We’re not even sure where to begin but we know that something must be done. That is why we’ve gathered on this virtual hilltop, and that is why we’ve invited you to join us here.
It’s our hope that this newsletter will become a place where anyone with an interesting idea can have their say and be listened to. We hope that this newsletter can build a community of people who don’t necessarily agree about everything but who recognise the crisis and want to do something about it. If we keep throwing our ideas and opinions around, maybe something wonderful will happen. Maybe we’ll grow in wisdom and find a way to live the way we’re meant to live. We don’t have it all together, but together, with the Holy Spirit to guide us, we have it all!

Welcome

Welcome to Areopogus. For people living on the rim: A place to exchange ideas about how to make the world a more sustainable and equitable place.
Comments are welcomed. Come back in a few days and we will have our first few articles here...