A Note on Public Scandals

Before You Share That Meme… A Christian Perspective on Public Scandals

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about the CEO who got caught cheating at the Coldplay concert. The jokes, the memes, the snarky comments—they’re everywhere. And I get it. It’s easy to be shocked, even angry, when we see people in power fail so publicly.

But here’s my (maybe unpopular) take: the only thing worse than what those two people did to their families… is what we are doing to their families now. Turning their very real heartbreak into a spectacle, their betrayal into cheap entertainment, and their pain into gossip-fodder.

I say this from a place of honesty: I’ve been on both sides of extramarital affairs—before I knew Christ. I’ve seen firsthand the wreckage it leaves behind. The destruction it causes doesn’t just end with the people involved. It ripples out to children, spouses, extended family, friends. I promise you—no one is “winning” in this story.

As Christians, we should be the last people fueling the gossip machine. We are called to be set apart. Yes, Scripture tells us to hold each other accountable, to correct and encourage one another back to righteousness. But nowhere are we told to condemn, humiliate, or mock.

Jesus said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.” (John 8:7)
He didn’t say “unless it goes viral on TikTok.” He didn’t say “unless it’s a CEO.” He didn’t say “unless they really, really deserved it.”

We are forgiven not because of who we are, but because of who He is. His grace is bigger than our worst moments. And maybe, before we share that meme or join in on the judgment, we should pause and remember—grace is for them, too.

Pray for their families. Pray for repentance. Pray for restoration. But don’t take joy in someone else’s downfall.