How does Hosanna turn into Crucify?
I’ve spent quite a bit of time recently thinking about this. How Palm Sunday was such a cause for celebration, and yet public opinion of Jesus seemed to turn over night. How could those individuals who praised him and danced at his entrance to Jerusalem on one Sunday, become his biggest critics in five short days?
In all probability there were two crowds, those who supported Jesus, and those who were assembled by the Pharisees etc. In my mind though, it is a bit like the way the public seems to attach themselves to celebrities/important people these days. Opinion swiftly moves from hero to zero or vice versa, all due to some very impressive PA machines and media coverage. No-one who was alive in 1997 could fail to notice the way Diana’s death was dealt with, and in recent days the newspapers and tv have been full of the death of Jade Goody (of Big Brother fame). Rightly or wrongly, people have become so consumed with individuals in the public eye. The media courts them, there are contrived photoshoots, Hello magazine deals to be made and we devour every little titbit available. People come out of the woodwork to say ‘I knew them’, or ebay sells a lock of their hair for a small fortune. And somehow we become part of that crowd. We are bustled along with the tide of public opinion, sharing sympathies or condemning people without really knowing anything about them.
When I think of the crowd of Jesus’ day, they too were manipulated. Not by the media but by religious leaders and circumstance. And I think about, if I were there, would I too shout ‘Crucify’? Would I deny Christ, like Peter, through fear?
I believe part of the challenge in our Christian life is to set ourselves away from the crowd. To stand firm in our faith. Yesterday, as we drove to Poppy’s Baptism, I saw several old people walking away from church, proudly displaying their palm crosses. And that struck me – we should not be ashamed of our faith or Christ in any form, whether a baby in a manger, broken on the cross or truimphant from the grave.
I am guilty of being part of the crowd. I pray that I can remember to step away from it when it really matters.
Can I just apologise for the fact that I’ve posted Lent 7a? I know Jon has done a stonking cartoon, but I kind of sorted this and wanted to still post it. Its all my fault for not speaking to Clare properly and being a slack madam now I’m a mother! Sorry folks
By: dadube on April 6, 2009
at 12:11 pm
cheers Dadube, am glad you posted this, it reminded me just how quickly people flip from pals to antagonists at times, and given time, can flip back again (i hope)
By: subo on April 6, 2009
at 1:31 pm
A very challenging post, Dadube. First off, congratulations to Poppy on her baptism. I like to think I would not have shouted, ‘Crucify’…but in all likelihood I would not have stood up to be counted among Jesus’ followers. I may have hidden in a corner and said nothing but I probably wouldn’t have spoken up in Jesus’ defence. I will, as has become my tradition, be going on the walk of witness on Good Friday morning. I will sing the choruses, may even be called upon to read outside the Indian restaurant or over the road from the pub. Secretly, I love it – I find the very nature of its geekiness quite subversive. I quite enjoy the fact that there are always some ‘lads’ outside the pub, laughing at us when the cross is fully assembled and there is no more hiding. I love that it seems to be the one time of the year, we get all the churches together…well, with one or two notable exceptions who cannot bring themselves to stand side by side with we Catholics (Whore of Babylon that we are!) You can’t win ‘em all!
By: Carole on April 6, 2009
at 5:44 pm
Cheers dadube.
Your piece brought to my mind that wonderful bit in ‘The Life of Brian’ when Brian reminds the crowd that they are ‘all individuals’ and in absolute hypnotic unison they shout back to him ‘we are all individuals’ (apart from one small voice if I remember right who says ‘I’m not’!)
Seems to me that being ‘part of the crowd’ is part of the human condition and the best we can do is be alert to the ‘currents’ of the stream we swim in … however, I am not sure how aware fish are of the water they swim in!
For me to try to get outside of myself and ask what forces are at work on me I try:
1. To prayerful listen to the spirit – am all too often gassing instead of listening!
2. Foster and use critical friendships – iron sharpens iron – love those friends that make me slightly uncomfortable! As well as those that make me laugh at myself!
3. Read stuff I don’t like/enjoy or gravitate to
4. Not watch too much TV news and views and try to contrast with web based local stories (e.g. Bethlehem bloggers site is an interesting contrast to media fodder re Palestine and Israel situation see – http://www.bethlehemghetto.blogspot.com/ )
5. Read lots of stories and let them work on my mind, spirit and imagination!
6. Take pilgrimages that involve risk and uncertainty – my faith and life are SO safe most of the time!
So – hey – many thanks for making me think about me and the crowd! davex
By: Dave on April 6, 2009
at 8:50 pm
i did a cartoon on crowd mentality a few days ago. the danger of a crowd is allowing yourself to go along with it. i’m always wary of that. ‘hosanna’ and ‘crucify’ are both symptomatic of the same crowd dynamic. i’m just never comfortable with unbridled crowds. i don’t know whether that’s sense, or my englishness.
By: jonbirch on April 6, 2009
at 11:20 pm
Thanks for this dadube. And you don’t need to apologise for posting!! It’s been great to hear from so many and varied contributors.
What always strikes me about crowds is the way that people en masse seem to create a huge amount of energy – and this energy can be manipulated, as politicians and rock stars are well aware! I wonder what the nature of this ‘energy’ is – on the positive side it seems to speak of the power of community, of what can be achieved if we unite behind a common goal – but of course, it can also run the other way. Together we are stronger, for better or for worse. Perhaps the key lesson of this little scene is that no matter how large the crowd or how charismatic the leader(s), we need to remember not to abdicate responsibility – for ourselves or for one another.
By: sanctuarybath on April 7, 2009
at 9:13 pm
I think thats an important point Dave, ‘5. Read lots of stories and let them work on my mind, spirit and imagination!’, (I’d would have to include songs)
maybe I’m going against the grain here, but I don’t see mass expressions of emotion as ‘essential dubious’, take the expressions of shock and grief publicly displayed following the Madrid bombings, I think sometimes a crowds stand, in solidarity, against evil. am also thinking of some of the resistance movements, (like the Palestinian resistance) of which saw the end to the iron curtain.
I think it’s important to be open to honest expressions of solidarity. and that when the crowd goes wrong, that is just that, it’s a fallen act of something good. not the predictable or inevitable end to public gatherings.
I’m also more aware of how when I’ve reacted in opposition, I’m actually still part of the mix, I just take a different position. at times this has been just as mindless as mindlessly following
further, I do think, although I’ve no idea how to make it happen, that even the lone, vulnerable, scapegoat, has power to transform a situation. sometimes an openness to humanity can reach out to the persecutors, and even if we don’t succeed in wining them over, we are in fact called to pray for peace and blessing on those who wish us harm
oh, and, ‘our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’ eph 6 :12
By: subo on April 8, 2009
at 1:59 pm
See your point Subo and there is nothing wrong with ‘going against the grain’ – only dead fish always swim with the flow! Perhaps you are evidence of your own point!
I would want to say that mass movements and large groups that discourage (or don’t encourage) the use of your brain and often seem to operate primarily via emotion and hysteria tend to meet with my disapproval and mistrust.
Your point about honest open expressions of emotion and solidarity is key – but emotion and crowd phenomenology cuts many ways – or are we to believe that the every day Germans who were duped by Nazi philosophy and propaganda were all evil – I hasten to add – I think not.
I also think that unquestioned world views are scary in their seductive power over groups (and individuals)! For example modernity and post modernity – they are the water that many of us in the west swim in without question, exercising our freedom to buy, to personal freedom/choice, worship of the twin gods intellect and reason etc.. etc… while the world burns – this can’t be right.
I believe phenomenon like modernity and post modernity are the principalities and powers that Paul is warning us about and whilst I agree it is not flesh and blood that we wrestle against we might want to put the boot into some of the ideas and dominant narratives that flesh and blood often seem to believe and accept blindly. This could be uncomfortable and needs people who swim against the stream – I might want to argue that eco warriors, new age travellers, direct action political protagonists, the anti capitalist movement are some of the key prophets of our time – as they war against the principalities and powers in a way that too many Christians have compromised with or are simply not aware of.
We are called to pray for peace (shalom) and interestingly this word shalom is not a warm feeling, or emotion, but may best be described as completeness, welfare of/for all, wholeness and justice.
All in all it seems to me that discernment is key in knowing your crowd! Joining in with the right crowd seems to be the trick – and thus I would go back to my list above (and I would probably add a few more) to know and understand the signs of the times I am in and the crowd that I am going to join… or ignore… or fight… dave x
By: Dave on April 8, 2009
at 10:23 pm
I think there’s different ways of looking at predominant theme’s, like Post-Modernism / Modernism, one being that God is the author of change, that we are caught up in His leading. The opposite is that culture is inherently anti God, and in opposition to Him.
extreme evangelicals, with their assumption that salvation is a rational mathematical formula, often favour the concept of God’s disengagement, though other Christian traditions have seen God at work in and at work with us, within the context of our lives.
perhaps it’s a wheat and chaff thing, in that God restrains his judgement for the sake of saving the wheat. I don’t know, though I have a desperate longing to see the church bringing God’s love to my generation.
whilst I sat like a block of concrete through charismatic explosions, and failed miserably to get the giggles in the spirit, I for one would welcome a mass movement towards God – who knows what a post-modern revival might look like? (yep, bet it would be scary)
By: subo on April 8, 2009
at 11:11 pm
umm interesting conversation Su and Dave. Beautiful piece Dadube, thank you. I think it’s quite a challenging question Su, “who knows what a post-modern revival might look like”- similar to my response to Jon’s post – i think a fuller understanding, acting of, fully embracing the concept of grace would be/ could be a powerful part of a post-modern revival.
By: soniamain on April 9, 2009
at 8:09 am
“one being that God is the author of change, that we are caught up in His leading. The opposite is that culture is inherently anti God, and in opposition to Him” – or perhaps both or neither Subo – I kind of think that God is in the bits where invited and in the bits that are lined up with Kingdom principles… and full of surprises!
I think a post modern revival will be lots of small groups (i want to say ‘bubbles’ – but maybe that’s the influence of my screen saver!) of people connecting to God and each other in authentic, loving, caring, meaningful, communal, socially relevant ways – I suspect the big number revivals of modernity are on the wane – but happy to be proved wrong!
By: Dave on April 9, 2009
at 12:22 pm
hiya Dave and all, maybe i like these discussions too much,
“‘bubbles’ of people connecting to God and each other in authentic, loving, caring, meaningful, communal, socially relevant ways”, – am up for this, it sounds fab.
as too God being in the places he’s invited, yes very much, though also my reading of Exodus gives me a sense of a God who responds to people’s desperation. ‘Tell them I’ve heard their cries’, and that he also wanted to ensure the Egyptians picked up he was alive, active and awesome, by engaging with the Pharaoh’s magicians. at times I’ve thought it strange that God would want to send plagues of frogs into people’s bedrooms and kitchens, but a closer reading left me thinking, as it says ‘Then the Egyptians will know that I am God’. only got to Exodus, ah, maybe I need to keep reading
By: subo on April 9, 2009
at 12:52 pm
yup I like the discussions too – am i becoming a post modern blogger!!!
I think people in desperation tend to often be naturally inviting God into their circumstances… interesting that the times I have been in the most desperate of circumstances (especially when in the developing world) have been the times I have sensed most the presence of God.
davex
By: Dave on April 9, 2009
at 2:43 pm
lets hope it’s healthy Dave, I am definitely hooked.
yep, God come’s when we put our trust in Him.
and yet, I also really think that He is close to the broken hearted, is aware of those who are struggling,
- as Mary sang in the Magnificat, Sing out my soul, sing of the holiness of God; who has delighted in a woman, lifted up the poor, satisfied the hungry, given voice to the silent.
And as Jesus claimed when he started his ministry, ‘a bruised reed I will not break, a smouldering wick I will not snuff out.
To me, this is a defining characteristic of God, he’s bothered.
By: subo on April 9, 2009
at 9:26 pm