01006

            In the biblical story of the golden calf (Exod. 32), anxiety became contagious.  By relenting to the peevish demands of the Israelites, Aaron gave them the Prozac of the day.  He thought that if he helped them to feel good, they would be contented and their lot improved.  Essentially, Aaron succumbed to the pressure of the moment.  Aaron joined the excited mob with such haste that he did not in any way calm the emotional uprising.  He simple could not tolerate their pain.  In contrast, when Moses returned and saw the glittering idol they had constructed, he took a stand.  He had the gold melted and pulverized.

Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times, Peter L. Steinke, page 34