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God Rule vs Mob Rule


 Editor    Jul 27 : 18:13

(This article was first published in the CR Newsletter, May 2009.)



(This article was first published in the CR Newsletter, May 2009.)

I had never heard of Susan Boyle until a couple of days ago. I heard someone on a radio talk show speak about her spectacular singing performance on the British version of American Idol and decided to have a look. Watching her performance on YouTube sent a chill down my spine.



Before her singing began the crowd mocked her with feigned whistles of desire as this older woman (who they had deemed ugly and not star material based on her looks and common, simple, plain speech) greeted the crowd with her heavy Irish accent. Next were Simon's patronizing and condescending questions followed by the other judges following suit with obvious looks of disapproval at this Hunchback of Notre Dame type figure whose very presence embarrassed them. The entire crowd was against this woman and the disgust on there faces could not be hidden.


Then she sang. The cheers soon followed and grew louder and louder as the crowd instinctively encouraged one another on and riled each other up on Susan Boyle's behalf. The song and its powerful and heartfelt delivery moved me deeply, but it was the speed with which jeers turned to cheers that sent the aforementioned chill down my spine. This was an example of mob rule seemingly going good, but truth be told mob rule is mob rule and the outcome, while this time by chance went well enough, is usually bad and, due to the emotional nature of these phenomenon, are perfect tools for Satan. The AIG executives recently got a taste of mob rule. These people saw crowds in front of their homes--where there wives and children live--chanting for their lynching via piano cords.



The Apostle Paul experienced both the love of the crowds and the stonings to follow. Consider this: God is a God of order. He asks us to reason with Him and the Scriptures and to be governed by His rule of law. God rule is about objectively looking at issues and situations through the lens of unwavering principles.



In CR we stress the rules of the group because the rules bring order and stability to the group. We need not get emotionally exercised when someone is out of line with a rule, rather we point to the rule and allow the consequences of violating a rule be carried out in love and order. The rules help our meetings be conducive to recovery but they are also a part of our putting a more general principle into practice. God rule supersedes mob rule.



Caution: the world operates via popular opinion, mass appeal, consensus and political correctness. It is often led by emotions, and what seems right intuitively. We must not guide our opinions and life in the same way. When you find yourself agreeing with the masses: stop and consider that the road Jesus warns us about is wide and many travel down it. The road to life is narrow; found and traveled by the few.


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