TUDYING THE ANCIENT GREEK & ROMAN GODS can be fascinating. Looking at their stories, though, reveals a rather violent worldview. They had gods of war, for instance; in Greece, there were Ares & Athena, and, in Rome, there were Mars & Minerva. The stories of the gods are filled with anger, vengeance, jealousy, adultery, fury, and wrath. Since these gods were the conception of those ancient people, they reflect a culture of darkness and severity.
In this milieu, Saint John dared to write his luminous First Letter. He had the audacity to claim that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Moreover, “In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that He has loved us and sent His Son as expiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).
The Christian worldview is utterly revolutionary.
