1/ I’m reading Dominion, by Tom Holland. It’s about the influence of Jesus on classical antiquity. It’s massively interesting, not least because it shows so much that is veiled to us. Classical Rome didn’t believe in loving your neighbor (for example). So here is something 
2/ interesting. This is Acts 19. It was in my daily reading plan. Asking myself the point of this passage has been a fun exercise today. Why is this uproar noteworthy? (Even the presence of Christians was a threat. The threat was economic.)
3/ Does it reveal anything about God? I’m not sure. Other than false idols being false, it doesn’t seem like it. But coupled with my OT read this morning in Psalm 13 (there is no one good, no not one). I think this is a snapshot of the world without Christ.
4/ Notice the person trying to calm down the crowd says to be calm and use the courts if they are so upset. He’s asking them to control themselves. “For you have brought these men here,” is a puzzle to me. But I think all of Acts 19 shows how genuinely disruptive Jesus was.
5/ from an historical perspective, there is a clear line between John’s immersion and the immersion of the early Church as a symbol of following Jesus. From an economic perspective, the silversmith sure thought Jesus was disruptive. Just calming the crowd seems a bit
6/ revolutionary. I’ve been looking for little indications of the massive shift Jesus and the early church caused in the culture of classical antiquity. I think this is one. I’m still thinking about it.
7/ if you are a westerner, you follow a Judeo-Christian ethic *even if you are atheist.* Every time you talk about loving others or doing good to them or holding your temper, that’s the influence of Jesus in your life. It’s just invisible because it’s there all the time. / end
