SENTINEL WATCH August 23, 2010 Issue

PRAYER THAT COUNTERS A MOB MENTALITY

DEVON LAMASTER

ON A RECENT WEEKEND, a flash mob of several hundred young people assembled suddenly in a lovely shopping and entertainment district of my city. A flash mob by definition is not necessarily a bad thing. It is generally associated with gatherings organized via a virtual community (e-mails or social media)—"the Net made flesh," as one person calls it. But in this case, the crowd got out of control, fights broke out, unwary passersby were intimidated, some were attacked, and the situation ended badly.

The term "mob mentality" is not new, nor is it limited to young people. It describes how behavior can change when large groups congregate at sports events, political rallies, or other major venues. Often, individuals find themselves going along with conduct they would never condone or take part in if they were acting alone.

One example from the Bible is in John's Gospel, which tells of an incident that had the potential to become violent. A group of scribes and Pharisees had gathered to stone a woman accused of adultery (see John 8:1—11). But Jesus defused the hate and indignation, and quelled the condemnation. He said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." And what happened after he'd turned the mirror back on the accusers? "They which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last."