A few weeks ago, a young black professor at Cambridge was accused of inflating his resume (which he had) and plagiarizing a portion of  his thesis (which evidence suggests he had not). In the heated and very competitive atmosphere of academia, the university decided to look into the allegations. The professor resigned, but people continued to pile accusations upon him. He became, as it so often happens, the story of the week in newspapers and social media.

The man was autistic and had learned to read in his late teens. He was certainly unprepared for the negative attention he received and did not know how to cope with it. He told his friends he did not see a way forward and was found deceased in his bathroom the next day.

This story got my attention. I had read the original story and saw that it was still in my newsfeed a few days later. I saw that people were continuing to talk about it even after he resigned. When I read that he had taken his own life, I was saddened.

As so often happens to people, once the sharks in social media smell blood in the water, the feeding frenzy begins. We have seen this happen to presidents, politicians, sports figures, and actors by the dozens. Many people have the support system to survive the attacks, but others, especially those who are not accustomed to being in the limelight, do not. They feel like their lives are over, and they cannot go on. I cannot count the times it has happened.

This happens not only on the national scene, but we see it played out in everyday life. People fail in one area or another of their lives, and the feeding frenzy begins. Most of us have observed this scenario since childhood. I would ask, is there a better way to handle the situation? What can we do to help the person so that he or she does not end up in a slough of despair? We need look no further than to Jesus and the story of the woman who was caught in the act of adultery.

One day, the religious leaders were looking for a way to attack Jesus. They brought a woman to him who had been caught in the very act of adultery. (I picture her with only a sheet covering her.) They threw her at his feet and were waiting for him to condemn her. Jesus looked around at them and could see the trap they were trying to lay for him. He could also see the hardness of their hearts. He said nothing but began to write in the sand. Finally, he turned to the woman’s accusers and said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

Her accusers left. The older ones left first, then the others down to the youngest. Finally, there was no one left to throw a stone at her. Jesus looked at her and said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” He did not pile on, and he offered her the chance at a new life.

Most of us are not reporters, but we all have some level of influence. Some of us are even social media influencers. When we are in a position to help someone who has fallen, let us pick them up and help restore them. The more we see people trying to destroy them, the more we should offer them our support. There is a way back from sin, failure, and public shame. We need to be the people helping them find the way back, not one of the sharks circling in the water. 

Photo by Tumisei. Courtesy of Pixabay