"A shocking cell phone video purportedly shows a police officer in the United Kingdom explaining how an army veteran was arrested over an anti-LGBTQ post he reshared online that had caused someone 'anxiety.'
"The video was recorded by actor and leader of the British Reclaim Party, Laurence Fox, who shared a meme on social media showing pride flags altered into the shape of a swastika. He said the meme was meant as a commentary on the authoritarian nature of LGBTQ and transgender activists.
"Because someone has been caused obviously anxiety based on your social media posts," the officer responded. 'That’s why you’ve been arrested.'" (From "The Daily Mail")
"‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" is a famous line from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. A man, a military veteran, posted something that "caused anxiety" in someone is handcuffed and under arrest? In the United Kingdom? What in the world is going on? Something is rotten in the United Kingdom. (The arrest causes anxiety in me et al.)
The arrest occurred 4,148 miles from me. Should you and I worry? Yes, because whatever is rotten in England soon smells on our shores. And this brings us to Paul's causing Demetrius to feel "anxiety" because of the gospel: "About that time a major disturbance occurred in regard to the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing considerable business to the craftsmen; he gathered these men together with the workmen of similar trades, and said,
'Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all. Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as worthless, and that she whom all of [Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.'
"When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began shouting, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Earlier, we read about the anxiety Jesus' message caused: "Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the temple grounds."
And later, "The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him." Then we read about Stephen's theology/ history lesson to the Sanhedrin and how much anxiety he caused: "Now when they heard this, they were infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, 'Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.' But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one mind. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!' Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them!' Having said this, he [ak]fell asleep."
The gospel of grace causes anxiety and anger because it's inherently offensive in the hearing of fallen man: The message of the gospel is, "You can't fix yourself." "You are accountable to your Creator." "You are dead in trespasses and sins." "Your good works are as filthy rags." It opposes the hubris of fallen man and cuts him down to size.
It is one small step across "the Pond" into America, where, to slide down the slippery slope only a few feet before we see our posts, our witnessing, our sermons, our writing, our handing out tracts causing "anxiety" and the cuffs are out.
We need to listen to what Paul wrote to Timothy: :"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction."
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