H is for Helios

(This post is part of the 2013 Blogging From A to Z April Challenge. Learn more about the Challenge HERE.)

In Greek myths, Helios was the sun god, son of the elder god Hyperion. Helios was thought to drive his chariot across the sky from east to west daily. He was the sun's avatar, the personification of the sun.

I thought about Helios as I was driving to the store today. The sun peeked out from the clouds for a moment sending shafts of sunlight across the countryside.

Of course, then I wondered why I would think about a Greek myth. My brain often surprises me with what will surface at odd times. When I was in high school, I was fascinated by Roman and Greek myths. In a lot of ways, I think they were the first science fiction/fantasy stories. But then I remember people actually worshiped the gods featured in those stories. I wonder how many of them truly believed. Or were they like a lot of people today who give lip service to believing in God, but don't really reflect any sort of good behavior in their lives?

It's hard to imagine anyone really believing in the Olympians, but maybe they did. Or maybe they thought that the gods might exist, and it was better to be safe than sorry. I think a lot of people approach God that way these days: They're not sure He exists, but they hedge their bets just in case.