A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
Acts 16:22-34
Dear God, mob mentality is an interesting thing. Reading this just now reminded me about one of the many powerful scenes in the movie version of To Kill A Mockingbird. In it, there is a mob ready to lynch the prisoner in jail and only his lawyer is standing in their way. Then the lawyer’s children come and his daughter Scout starts talking to one of the men in the mob whom she knows. I just pulled it up on YouTube and it still brings tears to my eyes.
I know people lose their heads and mobs like this happen often. Maybe even more so now that we have social media. I guess you could look back on January 6, 2021, and all of the people who now regret going into the capitol building. They got caught up into an emotional state because they felt threatened, afraid, or cheated through injustice. Whatever the reason, the things that mobs respond to are never exhibited through the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, kindness, and self control).
So the passage right after this one tells us that, the day after Paul and Silas had been flogged and jailed, the city officials sent word to let them go. Had they come to their senses? Did this ponder it all night, discuss it apart from the mob and decide they needed to rectify their mistake? I don’t know. But I know they seemed to change course when cooler heads prevailed.
All of this is a reminder to me. It’s a reminder to pause before acting when my emotions are high. It’s a reminder to be very careful before I join in with an angry crowd. This can include my coworkers when they get upset and emotional about something. It can be good to take a beat in those situations and let the emotion calm down.
Father, help me to be wise. Help me to not be in a hurry when I feel threatened, afraid, or cheated. Help me to respond, even in the worst of times, with love, joy, peace, etc.) Thank you for this day. Thank you for meeting me in it. I needed a good productive day, and you gave it to me. You blessed me in so many ways I can see, not to mention the ones I cannot see. Continue to use me as my wife and I go to have dinner with a friend tonight. Make us a blessing to her and her family. Let your kingdom come and you will be done on earth through our lives.
I pray all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Amen
Emails to God 