Mob mentality. Most days I think that I am strong enough to stand apart from the crowd for what I believe in. But every now and then I remember that it takes confidence to do that.
A few years ago after I had joined a work place some bullying took place of my colleagues from ethnic minorities. At the time it all happened in front of me and peoples jobs were lost. At the time it was so subtle that I really didn't see what was happening. By the time I realised what had happened I kicked myself for allowing such a thing and not standing up.
Mob mentality can happen in many ways. Mostly people think of violent crowds getting carried away but I was a part of something worse. The power of silently condoning bad behaviour. I can give numerous excuses for what I did but in the end as a Christian it is our responsibility that when we see wrong doing we act to make it right. Passively allowing things to happen is not the way forward.
In the text the mob get carried along. There were probably honest, hardworking people in the crowd. People who normally would say they were rational beings but there they were in a mob growing so violent that the army had to be called in. Do you think all those people believed with their whole heart what the Jewish leaders said or did it just sound good at the time.
I guess each day we are faced with small decisions each day not to join the mob. When we here a piece of juicy gossip we can choose not to join the mob in co deeming the person we here about. When faced with someone telling us how we should think about someone else we can choose not to join the mob. Basically not joining the mob means standing apart and doing something that requires courage.
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