When (We're) the Crowd Gets that Gets It Wrong

Author: Mark Fenstermacher
January 15, 2021

Sometimes the good guys (and good women) turn out to be the bad guys (and bad women).

Acts 7 tells us about a gathering of learned, scripturally literate, faithful-in-worship folks who are outraged by the passionate preaching and powerful miracles of a young, first-generation Christian named Stephen.  The writer of Luke-Acts tells, "They stirred up the people and the elders and doctors of the law, set upon him and seized him, and brought him before the Council." After Stephen is put on trial, and after he gives a long sermon about all the ways the worshipping faith community has turned away from the living God, the mob stones him to death.

What we see in this tragic event early in the life of the Christian faith, one writer recently observed, is that sometimes people who speak the name of God most often and most loudly are the problem. We see, in the 7th chapter of Acts, just what a mob can do.  There is something about being a part of a crowd that can either inspire us to greatness or release the demons—fear, hate, racism, religious bigotry—that lurk down deep in the cellar of our soul.

As you can imagine, the action of the mob and the stoning of Stephen came to mind as I watched the violent mob assault our nation's Capitol this past week. There was so much about that moment that was terrifying and wrong, but one element that broke my heart was seeing several Christian banners being waved in the middle of the crowd as it surged through broken glass and over the bodies of police officers.

As soon as I saw signs of the faith, I wanted to shout to the world, "That's not us! That's not the Jesus way!" I imagined all those who have doubts about the way of Jesus, and who have been turned off by the hypocrisy, racism, sexism, materialism and lust for power of some in the Christian community.

Too many times, through history, the Christian church and those who claim him as Lord have done terrible, violent and hateful things. They've—we've?— given the world a host of reasons to turn away.

There are three truths that seem very clear to me as I write this tonight.

First, sometimes it turns out that the people we thought were the good guys turn out to be the bad guys.  To be quite honest about it, sometimes faith communities—whether Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish or Hindu—have been the source of more injustice, pain and hate in the world than justice, peace, community and love.

Second, one of the central elements of the Christian way is something called repentance. Whether it is the story of Saul, encountering the living Christ and turning in a new direction, or the story of the woman at the well, the Bible talks over and over again about repentance. We can, with the help of God, confess our sin and turn around. 

Maybe this is something the people of Jesus can do in this moment of national crisis: we can confess our failure to follow the way of Jesus, decide to turn our back on the idols of fear, hatred, violence, racism and the need for control, and ask the Holy Spirit to help us live lives filled with the love of God (Ephesians 3).

Third, remind those who are shocked by the hateful behavior and words of some Christians to turn their eyes on Jesus. His followers often lose their way, like the lost sheep in Luke 15 they go wandering off and get lost in thickets of hate and fear and shame, but Jesus is always true. His life is always beautiful. His love is unrelenting. The church and some who wear the cross around their neck may get it terribly wrong, but Jesus was always faithful to the way of love.

It could be that one of the best gifts we can give our nation and world, right now, is to enter into a season of repentance.  We can engage in a time of honest reflection and soul searching as a faith community that claims to follow the Prince of Peace.

Then, we can embrace with joy the way of Jesus and his command to love as we have been loved. Love is the banner we march beneath and there can be no other.

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• We're in the middle of a three-week series on the core elements of the Jesus community. Last week we talked about love and this week we explore the mysterious, sometimes-maddening thing we call grace. Join us for worship at 8:30 a.m. on YouTube or on our web site.
• Our Wednesday evening meal ministry has begun again. Hungry people are being fed each week through Auburn First UMC! 
• We are partnering with the Township Trustee to help, where we can, keep people from being evicted from their homes.
• Watch for news about a New Member Class on Sunday mornings via Zoom (beginning January 31st).
• Our Sunday morning drive-through Communion was a success. We'll do that the first Sunday of each month, from 9:30-11, until we are worshipping back in-person again.
• Be safe. The vaccine is on the way but COVID is all around.

I am so blessed to be one of your pastors, and to be able to serve with this wonderful staff!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Mark

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