Crowds Gather

The Grand Rapids Art Festival is one my favorite events of the year. It’s a great summer environment, filled with the sounds of great local bands, the smells of grilled food, and the sights of some very unique people. People of all ages, nationalities, and economic statuses gather to enjoy the music and art displayed at this event. I find myself spending as much time watching eclectic people as I do the bands I came to hear.

This year I experienced something that seemed to connect this diverse crowd even more. As a matter of fact it happened twice, with two different bands on two different stages. It was a song that was a hit in the early eighties. Every person in the audience seemed to know the lyrics (at least the chorus). As soon as the opening guitar riffs were struck, people began to smile, sing, and even dance. The crowd went from being observers to participants. This thirty year old song obviously had a life well beyond the 80s. I watched people in their 50s, 40s, 30s, 20s and teens sing and dance to this song. Street bums and yuppie suburbanites were all singing along. Even a lady in one of those neck halo contraptions bolted to her head found her way to the stage to dance. Of all the music we listened to that weekend, this song got the most crowd participation—by far. See if these lyrics from Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ get a tune ringing in your head today.

Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere
(Chorus)
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to the feelin'
Streetlights people

Crowds intrigue me. I’m always interested to see what sorts of things gather a crowd, what moves a crowd, and what divides a crowd. Minutes after our little Journey sing-a-long, we stumbled into another crowd of people who had gathered for another reason. But this group wasn’t unified and happy, they were divided and angry. Two individuals carrying large signs with messages of sin, wrath, judgment, repentance, and hell were engaging the crowd of people whose curiosity was aroused. The contrast was stunning. Instead of singing and dancing together, this crowd was growing angry, verbally aggressive, brash, and profane. The message, and even more the method of delivering the message, was deeply offending some people. They wanted their opinions to be heard in very clear, demonstrative terms. I stood at a distance intrigued once again with what gathers groups of people. Reflecting on these two scenes, I think that both crowds were reaching for hope. The crowd was celebrating hope through a song that gave the message, “Believe! It’s all going to be good.” The second crowd was fighting for hope. Their hope was threatened by someone’s condemnation.

Crowds are an integral part of the Jesus story. As you read the book of Mark, it’s an interesting exercise to watch the crowds. They gathered because Jesus was announced as the long awaited Messiah, because he healed the sick, and because he spoke with authority. Through some of the ranks, there was a sense of euphoria. Finally, the rescuer had come. The leader and healer would drive the Romans out of their homeland. But, when Jesus’ message became clear, the religious establishment became threatened and the crowd’s allegiance divided. Some went home. Others joined in the stand against Jesus. All were reaching for hope.

Being part of the crowd is easy. It’s much easier to sing and dance when you’re with a large group of people. You blend in and feel freer to let go of your inhibitions. It’s also easier to fight in a crowd. A mob-mentality gives people courage to express their rage at a common enemy. But, those who are called to follow Jesus are called to step out. They are to be distinct, set apart from the world and set apart for something good. Most people who surrounded Jesus remained in the crowd. They were just observers. But, some stepped out and stepped toward Jesus. They were the ones who found true hope.

Where are you today? Are you an observer in the crowd or a passionate follower?