Gang Rule

A couple months ago I was with several parishioners in a movie theater to enjoy the recent film about Saint Nektarios. “Man of God” was a beautiful film, but today’s blog post is not about the movie, only the setting. We were in the food court of the mall waiting for the movie when a fight broke out across the way. Suddenly, like I have seen too many times on the TV news, a mob was surrounding a young man, and he was being beaten. I had never seen this in person before and was shocked so many just stood around watching and cheering, until today.

IN THOSE DAYS, Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself with them and went into the temple, to give notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for every one of them. When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd, and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching men everywhere against the people and the law and this place; moreover he also brought Greeks into the temple, and he has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimos the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was aroused, and the people ran together; they seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. And as they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them; and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. – Acts 21.26-32

The same thing happened to the saint we celebrate today. Saint Theodotos, the Bishop of Ankyra was martyred by a mob. He wasn’t preaching. He wasn’t teaching. He simply refused to stand around while others were killed for Christ. His ‘crime’ was to bury the dead of several martyrs. The crowd couldn’t stand to watch him show reverence to their bodies, so they ganged up on him like the crowd did to Saint Paul.

The same thing happens to us sometimes, albeit maybe not physically. When the ‘social media crowd’ decides a particular issue deserves our attention, we are shunned not because of what we say, but because we don’t jump on the band wagon. Our silence is often interpreted reason enough to declare us guilty of “teaching everywhere against the people and the law.” Sound familiar? When we preach against the moral choices of our fellow Americans, we are ganged up on to shut down our opposition, but Christ warned us about that too, in today’s Gospel lesson.

The Lord said to his disciples, “The hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” – John 16.2-13

The crowd can’t stand even to be left alone in their sin. They must crush anyone who does not endorse their way of life. It isn’t enough to allow the society to use the legal process to legalize abortion. We must fight for the right ourselves, or risk being ganged up on. It isn’t enough to believe people have the right to choose their own moral path. We must declare their morals ‘good’ or else suffer the crowd surrounding us, and if we dare to suggest their choices are wrong (even if we clearly state their right to have such choices) the gang shows up to execute justice against us.

So where do we turn? We turn to God, Who also sent the Holy Spirit to us to comfort us, and to guide the Church “into all the truth.” When we see the crowd coming, we will remember what Christ said, “But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them.” If the crowd shows us, at least we know why. They are fighting against God, and God always wins. Gang rule might scare some into submission, but in the end their way loses.

If you’re wondering what I did when I saw the fight in the mall, rest assured I didn’t stand still watching. My heart just couldn’t stand to see someone beaten, so I began to walk toward the fight. I admit now, I didn’t know what I would do if they were still fighting when I got there. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to figure it out. The fight stopped as suddenly as it began, and the crowd dispersed. Thank God nobody was hurt.