Over the Jeers of the Crowd

 

"Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another; and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar..."

You sort of feel for the Tribune who is trying to get the face in the middle of the uproar of contradictions and false information. And the entire commotion was based upon misinformation which fed suspicion, conspiracy theories, and predisposition toward a particular belief about Paul.

All that was needed was someone to stir up the crowd and the unwelcome committee was mobilized.

The world has not changed all that much.

Acts 21:27-36
New International Version
When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)

The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”

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Other Thoughts on the Theme

" I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O LORD, according to your justice give me life." -Psalm 119:147-149 

"Beware of interpreting Scripture in order to make it suit a pre-arranged doctrine of your own." --Oswald Chambers

Ideas matter more. It's always nice when they connect. Better still, when truth grounds them And they are allowed to soar.

What I have to say is hard to say in 140 characters, but if that is all I have, I should make what little I can say as truthful as possible.

The soul is quieted for sleep, but awakened for what may be next -a great idea, a sweet and profound chord, a moment of truth, inspiration.

That old Twitter rule forces us to chip away at needless words and simmer the stew of thought down to the most fragrant and nutrient rich essence: truth.

When we run out of spaces for our lofty and exorbitant processions of verbiage, we can always link to a blog or put our words in a graphic.

Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness- ideas that can't be contained within a race, class, or even nation - dynamic stumbling blocks of truth.

Our founders had flawed motives, but latched onto an idea that was bigger than them, had a life of its own, and must be fleshed out by us.

I've always liked letting people speak for themselves, but one can appear to be unfairly misrepresenting someone by quoting them directly.

"I have the ultimate security, for I can make good, bad, and indifferent serve the ends for which I live!" - E. Stanley Jones

" I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O LORD, according to your justice give me life."  -Psalm 119:147-149 

Doubts giving birth to deeper faith. This is the ministry of perplexity. This is the simplicity of complexity and the complexity of simplicity.

This is the resolution of struggle in the quest for that rest that will not rest in easy answers or shallow understanding.

Gravity is drawn toward the pebbles on the surface, but truth calls to the deeper rocks hidden beneath that surface. Faithquakes come and that which is anchored endures, but that anchoring has come through some Peniel nights where we wrestle for the blessing.

Salvation is free, by grace, through faith, but growth in faith is a pricey proposition. It stretches us and then, settles us till the next quake and opportunity to dig deeper.

"Imagination is a preview of life's coming attractions." - Albert Einstein ... found on a friend's "about" page

While I have your attention, here is some ultimate truth.