There’s a story told of a town in Ohio where the entire town started running, helter-skelter, out of town, but no one knew why; only some vague notion that the dam had broken. After everyone realized that they’d simply stampeded out of town for no reason whatsoever, they all, with red-faced embarrassment, headed back to their homes and workplaces.
Men are a herd creature. When they get spooked they stampede. Crowds, when they get moving, are not governable, they’re not going to pause to consider, weigh, or deliberate the arguments for or against their direction. So, what took place in our nation’s Capitol this week––and lest we forget, what took place most of the summer in many of our nation’s most prominent cities––is the result of crowds flowing downhill.
The duty of the Christian is that no matter which direction the crowd is flowing, he must not get swept off his feet. Crowds entice fools to join them. But as Solomon warned his son, the wise man must learn to stand fast in wisdom, no matter how enticing the offer of the sinful crowd is. It isn’t because crowds are innately wrong. Rather, it is because there’s only one crowd which we are called to rush forward with, and that is the great host without number, which surrounds the throne of Christ. We must join with the company of saints to eagerly offer our worship to the Risen Christ.
The reason our nation is fracturing into tribes, breaking the tenuous alliances that held us together, and drawing battle lines is that we have fled from the worship of the triune God, and run to worship various idols. So, don’t join frenzied crowds who aren’t governed by the Spirit of Wisdom. But do not lag behind when it comes to zealously pursuing the worship of God alone.
Leave a Reply