The White Ribbon. "For God, and Home, and Humanity." WELLINGTON, NOV. 18, 1942. MODERN SILVERSMITHS.

White Ribbon, Volume 43, Issue 10, 18 November 1942, Page 3

The White Ribbon. "For God, and Home, and Humanity." WELLINGTON, NOV. 18, 1942. MODERN SILVERSMITHS.

(By MRS. F. J. T. GRIGG, President Bryndwr Union, Christchurch.)

I have read the account of Paul’s sojourn at Ephesus many times and each time I have been filled anew with admiration for the tremendous courage of the apostle in the face of overwhelming odds. I’aul came to Ephesus at the commencement of his third missionary journey and we know, from what he tells us, that he worked hard for his living at his trade of tent-making. For the first three months he went every Sabbath to the synagogue, but when trouble arose from the Jews, he hired the lecture hall of Tyrannus and spoke there daily. The practice of magic was widespread in Ephesus, and after the episode of the sons of Sceva many brought their magical books to him and burnt them. Paul had decided to go on to Jerusalem after more than two years in Ephesus and sent two of his companions on while he remained behind. His reason for staying on appeared to be the fact that it was the time of the great festival in honour of the goddess Artemis or Diana, which always lasted a month. He puts it this way: “I shall remain in Ephesus, however, till Pentecost for a door that offers wide and effective service stands open before tr.c and tlierc are many opponents." Are not the last two words an inspiration to us? Many oppo-

nents! The reason for staying on, not for getting out of it all!

H. V. Morton tells us that nothing in all his wanderings filled him with a deeper sense of the pathos of decay than the waterlogged ruin of Ephesus. Yet the temple which Paul saw there was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. One writer said that it surpassed every structure raised by human hands. Another said, "I have seen the walls and hanging gardens of Babylon, the Colossus of Rhodes, the statue of Jove at Olympia, the great labour of the lofty Pyramids and the ancient tomb of Mausoleum, but when I l>eheld the Temple at Ephesus towering to the clouds, all these other marvels were eclipsed.

When Paul came to Ephesus, this temple and the powerful organisation associated with it were at the height of their fame, and Artemis or Diana of Ephesus was known the world over. The vested interests involved were of great magnitude. It was similar vested interests which were cqnnected with the temple of Jerusalem, iyid which filled Christ with such righteous indignation. In that case the “house of prayer” had become a “den of thieves.” The position with regard to a pagan temple would be infinitely worse.

During the month of the festival, the harbour of Ephesus was crowded with pilgrimships and there was a daily programme of athletic contests, plays, and solemn sacrifices. Thousands of silver shrines were bought by the visitors to take home as mementos of their visit. This influx of pilgrims from all parts of the world was Paul's great opportunity. It is obvious that Paul made very good use of his time in Ephesus as we find Demetrius calling together his fellow-silversmiths and complaining bitterly about the effect of Paul’s preaching on their trade. The danger he states is not only their trade will become of no account but also that the honour of the goddess Artemis is at stake. As he intends, the crowd takes up his “but also"

and the cry goes out ‘Great is Artemis of Ephesus.’ The uproar spreads through the city and a huge crowd rush into the great theatre, which holds some 24,000 l>eoplc. The i>eople, meanwhile, kept shouting, some one thing, some another, for the assembly was all uproar and confusion and the greater part had no idea Tu'/iy they h<ul come together. This was true enough then, as it is today of most crowds. Our modem “silversmiths” are just as clever with the crowd as their predecessors of Ephesus. Listen to the chairman of directors of a brewery company. “Our prosperity depends on this business but not in New Zealand only, but throughout the whole world, there arc certain jieople who say that our goods are not beneficial but very harmful to people’s bodies and minds. There is danger therefore not only that our trade will become of no account, but also that men’s liberty will be endangered and eventually they will not Ik hDc to do all manner of acts which they find agreeable. Hold fast to libertv.”

How well the cry about liberty goes down with the unthinking crowd! The incidents of Ephesus arc repeated today with our drink problem. Propaganda put out by the liquor trade, particularly with regard to prohibition in America, is swallowed holus bolus by apathetic people, who do not trouble to find out farts for themselves. Unfortunately in this category we find even some of the l>eople of our churches. In this connection I must say that with others, I am disapjiointed with the present campaign for Christian order. As a W.C.T.U. we have had a permanent campaign for Christian order and always will have otic. I welcomed the present campaign, thinking that om, of its features would be a sharp attack on the evils in our midst, but it appears some of those most prominent in the campaign think we can have a Christian order and keep our national sins with us.

We need the Pauline attitude. Paul was unafraid of all the might of the

silversmiths of Ephesus and their vested interests. He welcomed staying on in the city localise ot its great opportunities and the many opponents whom he likened to beasts on account of their ferocity. If our campaign for Christian order is to succeed, like Paul, we must stress the need for juTSonal regeneration and place much emphasis on the word SIX. which today is being called by anything hut its true name. The test of the effectiveness of the campaign will be the amount of opjiosition it provokes and at present J fear it is too ]x>pular to be either jHiwer ful or effective. We need the voice of the prophet to cry'aloud “Put away evil from your midst.” And who is the prophet? The prophet is the man or woman who feels he or she has a message from (iod and must deliver that message with urgency. Not tomorrow, not next week, but today. Most of uare just ordinary women with daily household duties, but does not the fact that we have been led to link up with the W.C.T.U. for God, Home, and Humanity mean that we have felt the Message come to us. In a humble way we have accepted the prophet’s mantle. Are ?ir del her in g the prophet's message with urgency?