POPULAR AMUSEMENTS

John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, wrote these comments concerning the popular customs of the day: “John Chrysostom’s social and religious world was formed by the continuing and pervasive presence of paganism in the life of the city. One of his regular topics was the paganism in the culture of Constantinople, and in his homilies (sermons) he thunders against popular pagan amusements: the theatre, horseraces, and the revelry surrounding holidays. In particular, he criticizes Christians for taking part in such activities:

If you ask [Christians] who is Amos or Obadiah, how many apostles there were or prophets, they stand mute; but if you ask them about the horses or drivers, they answer with more solemnity than sophists (teacher of philosophy) or rhetors (a teacher of rhetoric).”

What is new under the sun? Ask many of us the same questions and we are blank. But, ask us the batting averages of about 165 players, or the golf finals, or the NFL statistics, or the NBA scores, or the Kentucky Derby favorites and we seem to know such things. If you “ask about the horses and drivers” everybody seems to know. Or ask about movies, TV, theatre, Netflix, Academy Awards, Emmys, the latest on Brad Pit or Tom Hanks…but who was Amos and Obadiah?

There is not much new under the sun.

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Jesus