About the time Paul visited the province of Asia there arose a great disturbance in the city of Ephesus about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius called together the craftsmen and said, “You see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name but the goddess Artemis will be robbed of her divine majesty.”  Acts 19:23, 26-27

When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis.” Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Paul’s traveling companions and rushed as one man into the theater. The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting on thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. They all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis.” Acts 19:28-29, 32, 34

How about us? Are we in an uproar over some grievance or offence? Have we been insulted, disrespected, disenfranchised, under counted, over looked, left behind, or misunderstood? Are our hurts worth the division and violence that will follow from our outburst?

The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Men of Ephesus, you ought to be quiet and not do anything rash. If you have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly.” Acts 19:35, 36, 38-39.

When we died in Christ and were born into his Spirit, we agreed that our natural born rights granted in the Kingdom of Man became secondary to the rights gained in the Kingdom of God. Now the only right that matters is the right to be called a child of God. In our actions are we imitators of Christ? Let us live in peace with others through the Spirit of Christ, not as the ungodly who worship the idols of some fading movement. Our neighbors are watching.