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.
Last weekend I was looking at Facebook and noticed a man I had gone to school with had posted a sermon he was giving that Sunday. I listened to it for a while and I was amazed at what the Lord had done in his life. He was one of those kids who was a cut-up in school. You could always count on him to do or say something funny. If only the people who had gone to school with him could see him now.
Then, I thought about myself. There was definitely a time in my late teens when I went down a wrong road. I’m sure that anyone looking at me then would not believe that I would be a committed Christian now. I am amazed at what the Lord has done with my life, also.
Why would God do this for those of us who are so unworthy of His love and forgiveness? Because that is the way He works. Scripture says, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise,” 1 Cor. 1:27 I mean really, what kind of a God would choose people who totally do not deserve the restoration He gives? Because simply, that is the way He gets the glory for what He does. The Scripture goes on to say, “and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” 1 Cor. 27-29
I know so many of you do not feel worthy of coming to God. You feel you have gone too far, sinned too much and made a complete wreck of your life. You wonder why would God want you? Because God works in ways that are just opposite of how the world works. He DOES see the value in you and knows that He can take you just the way you are and change your life in a way that no one would believe. And like the Scripture says, He will get the glory for what He does.
For those of you who are struggling right now, come to Him. He is waiting to take your life and make it into something beautiful. Just call out to Him and you will be amazed at what He will do with your life. How do I know? Because I see what He has done in mine.
Valerie Cullers 