March 27

The Crowd and the Mob

             When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice.  When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, “Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways; yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good—giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.

Acts 14:11-20

            There is a fine line between love and hate.  The crowds were willing to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods.  Then the crowd became a mob and they beat Paul so severely that everyone thought he was dead.  He may have even been dead, we don’t actually know.  What we know is that the mob thought that they had killed him.  They dragged his body out of the city and dumped it outside the walls.  Then the other believers gathered around him and prayed and Paul stood up and walked to the next city with them.  Was Paul raised from the dead?  Was he just really good at playing possum?  Scripture does not say and it is not really the central focus of the passage.

            Popular opinion is a volatile thing, easily swayed and manipulated.  One of the crazy things about humanity is that our connections with each other can amplify our passions and emotions like a feedback loop.  I may be mildly annoyed with something…say I had a bad lunch at a restaurant.  If I am by myself, I may grumble or not leave a great tip or ask to speak to the manager.  Most likely I will just chalk it up to a bad day and leave, forgetting about the experience by dinner.  However if I have that same bad meal in a group, things can escalate.  I could complain which leads others to complain about how they’ve had bad experiences here.  Others will chime in that they have heard rumors of sanitary issues and mistreatment of workers.  Someone else will add that they know the family of the owner and they are not good people and someone should really do something about this place for the good of the community.  The owners and workers will sense that their livelihood is under attack and push back, creating real tension and fight or flight responses and if the group is of large enough size we are not fleeing.  The situation has gone from mildly annoying to a passionate, grassroots movement to close down a business just because of the power of numbers.

            The Voice of the People is powerful.  It can close businesses, effect legislation, save lives and ruin careers.  The Voice of the People is at the foundation of advocacy.  Policy makers constantly have decisions to make about where to allocate funds.  They look over research packets that and they have their own opinions.  They hear finely crafted presentations from professional lobbyist groups.  They look at polling data.  They have a deadline for decisions and voting before they move on to the next important issue.  Throwing a wrench into their timelines are often advocacy groups who are not as polished, not as professional as lobbyists and less aware of the procedures and deadlines that legislators face.  But they are passionate.  They are invested.  They are willing to stall the whole system so that their voice can be heard.

            Advocacy carries weight because it is the heart of real people.  Dozens, hundreds, or thousands of real people who all believe in the same decision for the same issue can sometimes outweigh all the other voices that fly at policy makers.  My voice, when added to the chorus of others, can make a difference in where the money goes, what the priorities are and who does or does not get left behind.  It is not a guarantee, but the Voice of the People has an undeniable power to change our world.

A moment to reflect:

Who is advocating for the good of your child?  How can you support them?