The first reading for this week, from the book of the Acts of the Apostles, is a story of the Apostle Paul’s visit to and experience in Athens. For the writer of Acts, Athens was viewed as the center of thinking and philosophy in the world of his day. As a result, it would be important, for the effective faithfulness of Paul’s mission to the Gentile community, that Paul go to Athens and debate the thinkers and philosophers of his day.