What the Bible says about Responsibility to the Whole
(From Forerunner Commentary)
In battle there is a kind of "mob psychology." If one man breaks and runs because he is fearful, he is likely to set off a wholescale retreat because everybody else will be frightened by the one who was fearful. So the army is routed and defeated, because the action of one affects the attitude of all.
The opposite works, too—the bravery of one can also inspire all. There are both sides of it.
We must come to understand that, in every situation, we have a responsibility to the whole. We do not stand alone! There is individual responsibility, first, to be obedient to God, and second, to be faithful and loyal to the whole. If we go off and do something on our own, then we will bear the burden of our sin, but it is not going to end there because our sin will affect everybody else unless corrective action occurs.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Every Action Has a ReactionRelated Topics: Chain Reaction of Fear | Every Action Has a Reaction | Fear | Fearfulness | Mob Psychology