"Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together." Acts 19:32We have memes of this situation floating around the internet, and one of my favorite ones is as such: "Who are we?"
"Spanish Students!"
"¿Cómo te llamas?"
"¡Bien!"
We can gather and speak loudly, but if we lack direction, we are putting ourselves at a risk of falling apart in the times of pressure or challenges. And, of course, Jesus is all about presenting us with a challenge, whether it be of faith or of how to live.
Paul and some companions go into Ephesus in order to preach, but some people start to get antsy about the fact that the Gospel is about Jesus and not Artemis, whose statues and temple provide a strong source of revenue for the city. And, yet, when they are faced with the Gospel of love, of miracles, of grace, of forgiveness, they all freak out. They are going to lose their livelihood. Then, they go to riot, but they have no idea how to riot. I mean, is there really a way to riot against the good news of love and forgiveness?
And, since they have no good argument, such that they can't even agree on what they're rioting about, they end up nearing a censure for rioting without a cause. They remain silent.
The life that Jesus asks us to live is not an easy one, by no means, but we need to be open to all that he is offering. Rather than kick and scream at him, how about remaining silent and listening? We can only wander for so long in our own ways before we reach a test. Let's let Jesus guide our lives.
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