The world turned upside-down!

"When they could not find (Paul & Silas), the mob dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities, shouting, 'These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has entertained them as guests. They are all acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus.'"

(Acts 17:6-7)

In just over a month I'll get to see HAMILTON live onstage in Costa Mesa, CA. I've been planning this for over a year and a half. In fact, we bought season tickets to the 2016-17 theater season, knowing that "Hamilton" was coming for the 2017-18 season, and we'd be guaranteed seats. (Did I mention that Costa Mesa is close to 100 miles away from Palmdale, and constitutes a 2+hour drive for every show?)

I first fell in love with the soundtrack for Hamilton a year and a half ago (yes, I was a late adopter to the craze!). Plus, my father was a National Park Service historian, so I've grown up with a love of all things history. So a song like "YORKTOWN" that recounts the decisive battle int he US Revolutionary War vs. Britain, is crucial. We earned our independence as a nation then and there. And how does Lin Manuel-Miranda (the writer of Hamilton) cap off the story dedicated to this monumental victory? The choristers sing, over and over, "the world turned upside-down..."

So true. The spunky young (and greatly "outgunned, outmanned, outnumbered, and out-planned") colonists pulled off one of the greatest upsets in world military history, defeating global superpower!

As I was reading Acts 17 today, the phrase "the world turned upside down" (or something to that effect) appeared again. This time it was in reference to the early Church. After Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, God's Spirit empowered the believers to spread the news of Jesus far and wide... and the church was birthed! It literally changed the world. Power came to the last, the least, and the lost. The weak and poor became strong. Those who'd been dumped on by the "in-crowd," responded with love, not hate... with forgiveness, not vengeance. Peace came to the turbulent lives of so many, and the Kingdom of God began to take root here and now. It truly has changed the world... turned it "upside down," if you will.

I guess this proves that Jesus did not throw away his shot! ;)