May 23, 2026
The phrase “the world turned upside down” might have achieved new heights in prominence in the Broadway blockbuster “Hamilton”, but it had been an idiom in the English language for a long time. We know what it means. No one is actually spinning the globe, putting Antarctica in the north and dropping us to the southern hemisphere. No, the term simply means that things were one way, and now as a result of some happening they are completely different.
There have been several events that have purported to have turned the world upside down. Ancient kings claimed it every time they took the throne. The Founding Fathers of America believed it to be true of their actions when they declared independence from England. In our lifetimes, things like the moon landing, the development of the PC, internet, and smartphone, and much more can each claim to have revolutionized things.
The Gospel of Jesus makes its own claim that the single pivot point of history, the one event that truly turned the world upside down, was Passover weekend about 2,000 years ago. The death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus is the fulcrum, the event that turned the world upside down. And Jesus’ church believed (and still believes) that they play a role in this singular pivot. But how do we do it? Through war? Through coercion? Obviously not. So what does it look like to play our part in living in a world turned upside down?
To this question, Paul writes this to the church in Thessaloniki:
You should make it your ambition to live peacefully, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, just as we commanded you, so that you may behave in a way which outsiders will respect, and so that none of you may be in financial difficulties.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
Ambition is a powerful force. We all know how it can be a harmful thing, but Paul encourages Christians to have an ambition: live peacefully. Much can be said about this, but spend some time reflecting on the power of a life lived at peace with the world and our fellow humans. What better way to communicate that the world is indeed turned upside down by the rule of the Prince of Peace?
Grace and Peace,
Josh Withers