Last Sunday morning I mentioned in my sermon how God uses the “foolish” things of the world to shame the wise.  In the context of Genesis, I was talking specifically about God’s penchant for making great mothers of women with barren wombs (Sarah, Rebekah, et al.).  But this also works as a general principles, as the beginning of 1 Corinthians and numerous other texts and examples make clear.

As an aside, I mentioned “The Alexamanos Graffito.”  This ancient graffiti is one of the oldest depictions of the cross, and it is not a flattering depiction.  In fact, it is a piece of anti-Christian mockery in which a young man, Alexamanos, is seen worshiping before a cross on which is crucified a man with the head of a donkey.

Scribbled beneath are the words, “Alexamanos worships his God.”  The graffiti is dated to around 200 AD.  Here is a picture of the original (discovered in Rome in the mid-19th century), with a pencil or pen rubbing beneath it making things a bit clearer.

So when we talk about “the new atheism” or speak about what seems to be increasingly hostile attacks upon Christ and His people, remember that there is truly nothing new under the sun.

The world has always mocked the cross as absurd and God’s people as fools.  But may we never forget:  the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of the world, and it is through the foolishness of the cross that we are saved.