Mob Mentality

Last Saturday, Gene and I went to the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals Inaugural at the new zMax Dragway in Charlotte, NC. If you’ve never seen the Top Fuel or Funny Cars run … you need do to that at least once in your life. There is no describing the power of these cars and the total vibration of all your internal organs… you have to experience it. Anyway, we had a great time, saw a fiery crash, actually 2 crashes in the same run … which was exciting to see (since no one was hurt) and watching the crowd reminded of the life I do not miss and not sorry I left behind.

All was going great … UNTIL … we were leaving and Gene wanted to catch the shuttle bus back to the car. We got on board the bus along with many who have had a bit too much sun, fun, and beverage. I can deal with that, but what happened next left me extremely upset.

The driver of the bus was a small young man that seemed a bit shy and insecure. The traffic was terrible because of the all pedestrians and cars trying to leave the track at the same time. The loud, inebriated crowd on the bus started, yelling at the young man saying “Let’s go Leroy” and talking down to him in may other ways. It clearly upset the driver and when the road was clear for him to move the bus; he couldn’t get it in gear. The more he tried, the more they yelled at him and the more they yelled they more frustrated he became and couldn’t get it to work at all. By then cars were honking their horns and one of the men on the bus declared that he was tractor trailer driver and was trying, in a very condescending way, to tell him how to drive and even told the driver if he’d get up he’d drive the bus. A mob mentality was growing quickly. I just kept saying to Gene … why do they have to be so mean. All I wanted to do was get off the bus, not because the bus wasn’t moving but because of the way the young man was being treated. Gene said to wait, if we got off then, it would cause more trouble and escalate the situation (I’m married to a wise man).

The bus finally started moving and at the first stop we got off (even though we weren’t to our car yet). I apologized to the driver and patted him on the shoulder as we got off and Gene said “It’s OK buddy”… we walked on to the car as I was still fuming!

THEN IT HIT ME! I immediately thought Jesus. The how horrible the mob mentality must have been on the day they were yelling “Crucify Him!” How would I have felt if I’d been in that crowd that day? Would I have wanted to get away, would I have wanted to help Him? Or forbid, would I have been part of the mob?

I absolutely hated the experience of seeing the mob verbally abusing the young bus driver, but am so thankful it happened as I was reminded of what this Easter week is all about, what humiliation Jesus went through for me and went through willingly. I don’t understand it … only that I am, literally, eternally thankful...