Incite to Riot

“Let us continue to consider how to motivate one another to love and good deeds.”
– Hebrews 10:24

So, since NATO is here, all of the “Occupy Chicago” people decided hey, why don’t we protest too? Apparently the cool thing for Occupy people these days is to wear V for Vendetta‘s Guy Fawkes Mask. Because identifying with a failed British arsonist is clearly an American thing to do.

Then, there was the time I was working at the Mall of America, and I showed up to work, and everyone said “Oh, were you at the riot yesterday?” Whut?
Well, apparently a riot had broken out in the mall because people had heard rumors that certain rap musicians were going to show up. They didn’t, but clearly it was a good time to riot.

What can this tell us, above and beyond the fact that people barely need any excuse to get riotous?

Hebrews 10:24 tells us to “motivate one another”, or “spur one another on” to love and good deeds. This is from the Greek word παροξυσμός “paroxusmos”, and it means irritation, provocation, or angry dispute, to jab someone to the point where they must respond. It means inciting, as in “inciting a riot”.

How can we provoke one another to love and good deeds? Where’s our little bit of energy that rouses us to wear our Guy Fawkes masks, and get angry Lil Wayne didn’t show up at the mall? Let’s incite a riot of Christcenteredness!