Mob Mentality

When we face tough situations, even times of confrontation, we can be reliant on the Holy Spirit to
direct us in our speech. Luke 12 says this:
11 Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.
12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

Not all of us may face this sort of instance, but there is a great principle in verse 12 about allowing the Holy Spirit to "teach" us what we should say.  And, if we are exhibiting the fruit of self-control according to Galatians 5, we can, through a dependence on the Lord, know what words that we can speak in whatever situation we face.  We can choose our words prior to the heat of battle so that we do not escalate a situation and when there is confrontation, we can make it our aim to be reliant on God to speak through us.

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In Titus 2, we find that Paul is giving exhortations to various groups of people: older men and women, as well as younger men and women.  And, while these are directed at these specific
demographics, there are some universal principles here. For instance, we can read:
6 Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded,
7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,
8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.

More on the tolerant intolerant today, which can show us where we are as a culture and illustrates a "mob mentality" that has taken hold in some areas of society, a mentality that threatens the Church as well.

It goes back to an incident that occurred at a bakery in a small college town - Oberlin, Ohio.  An Oberlin College student went in to the bakery and attempted to shoplift.

The Campus Reform website reported:

In Nov. 2016, an Oberlin student, Jonathan Aladin, was caught attempting to steal wine from the bakery. Two other individuals, according to the lawsuit, were also arrested and accused of misdemeanor assault during the same altercation.

In response to the arrests, protests and boycotts against Gibson’s bakery ensued with protesters accusing the store of being racist as Aladin is a minority. Reportedly, numerous employees of Oberlin attended these protests, passing out allegedly libelous flyers which read: “[Gibson’s] is a RACIST establishment with a LONG ACCOUNT of RACIAL PROFILING and DISCRIMINATION.”

Gibson's filed a lawsuit, and recently was awarded $11 million in damages by an Ohio jury. Among other things, according to the article:

The lawsuit claims that several Oberlin college administrators and faculty members publicly disparaged the bakery and used college resources to promulgate libelous information. One unnamed Oberlin administrator, the associate dean of Academic Affairs, has been accused of using Oberlin resources to print copies of the flyer.

Meredith Raimondo, Oberlin’s current vice president and dean of students who is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, is accused of distributing the flyer to individuals both on and off campus.

Campus Reform reports that "In response to the accusations of sustained actions of discrimination, the Oberlin Police Department conducted its own investigation into the bakery’s history, finding that of the 40 adults arrested for shoplifting at Gibson’s in the past five years, only six were black."

The school, for its part, reportedly is saying that it did nothing wrong, according to the Chronicle-Telegram, saying that "students’ freedom of speech was protected and that the student demonstrations were safe and lawful."

The Campus Reform article also says:

Peter Wood, president of the National Association of Scholars, told Campus Reform that he has followed this case from the beginning, and said that "Oberlin administrators have a long record of inciting Oberlin students to take stands on 'social justice' issues," adding that "students are primed to exaggerate claims of racism, sexism, and other alleged aggression."

There is one key word in Wood's comments that we have to be on guard against: exaggeration.  Distorting the facts and inserting emotion can make a problem seem larger than it is.  An appeal to emotion and perception can cause unwarranted conflict.  That's how the "mob mentality" is incinerated, and believers in Christ have to hold to a higher standard, especially in matters of race and gender.

There is certainly a mob mentality that is present in some circles, devoted to shutting down free speech and silencing those with whom they do not agree. Unfortunately, Christians are all too often on the receiving end of such treatment.  Just ask David Lynn of Christ Forgiveness Ministries in Toronto - he was on a preaching tour of all 22 districts of the city when he began to proclaim God's love on the streets of the Christ-Wellesley Village area, which is described by ChristianHeadlines.com as "the city's gay village."

The article says:

Another ministry that was present, Torch of Christ, shared a video of the entire event on YouTube and Lynn’s ministry shared a shorter, edited version.

As the group joined in a circle to pray before Lynn started preaching, a crowd of onlookers started to gather around them. Lynn started preaching on a microphone with a portable speaker, saying, “God is good, God is really good. We are here to offer free information about Jesus to all who would like free information.” The video then cuts to a group beginning to confront Lynn about his preaching. Lynn said he was tolerant of everyone and asked if they would be tolerant of him as a Christian. One man said he did not want Lynn to “spew” his beliefs right on top of them and another said Lynn was disturbing a peaceful neighborhood by preaching with a microphone.

The article states that Lynn was arrested by police who "released him Wednesday morning but instructed him not to go to the homosexual district or any Pride month events."  The same website reported on an incident in Boston at the annual March for Life there - it was a small group of protesters who disrupted their event this time.  The article states:

C.J. Williams, the community engagement director for the Massachusetts Citizens for Life said two pro-abortion supporters shouted expletives at the pro-life activists and one even pushed her. She also said that another pro-abortion supporter threw urine and a frozen drink on one of the rally speakers.

From a Christian standpoint, we believe in free speech and we believe in organizing for a cause.  There's a big difference between peaceful protest and disruptive counterprotest, driven by a mob mentality.  You could say it's human nature to gather people together who think like you do and attempt to "win - over" the other side; notice the inflection here - not to win over, as in to persuade in a winsome manner, but to defeat.

We see it on social media all the time.  You have a progression - a point made, then a response, followed by a response, then people take sides and begin to make accusations.  I'm not sure that you have a lot of persuasion going on, and certainly there becomes a lack of compassion expressed.  We have to stay away from activities that negatively impact the unity of the body of Christ and make sure that our rhetoric remains restrained.

The mob mentality is real, and we have to make sure that when we encounter it that are not intimidated, that we are bold, yet under control; remember, self-control is a fruit of the Spirit.  He will give us the resources we need when we find ourselves in a confrontational situation.