Caught at COLDPLAY
We're captivated when others are caught in sin because it's like looking in a mirror.
“If you fail to follow through, your sin follows you. It will go badly for you.” Numbers 32:23
By now, you are familiar with the viral sensation of the Chief Executive Officer of Astronomy Corporation being caught, unexpectedly, in an embrace with his Human Resources Director at a Coldplay concert.
The video (below) shows a businessman and his coworker caught in a romantic embrace at a Coldplay concert.
I’ll refrain from commenting on the stupidity of taking an employee to a Coldplay concert and being caught on camera embracing your lover.
However, I will comment on why the above video has captivated the nation.
The Sin Within
In an age of instantaneous global communication, the court of public opinion convenes with alarming speed. A viral video, a leaked text message, or a candid photo from a concert can transform ordinary individuals into subjects of intense scrutiny and condemnation.
The recent example of a couple at a Coldplay concert, whose actions drew widespread criticism, highlights a timeless human tendency: to point the finger at the perceived sins of others readily.
Yet, a deep and honest look into the wisdom of the Scriptures reveals a profound caution against such judgment, urging a posture of humility and self-reflection over one of condemnation.
The Bible consistently warns:
‘God brings down the proud, and exalts the humble.’
The Gospel of John presents a compelling narrative that addresses this issue directly.
It’s the story of the woman caught in the very act of adultery.
Brought before Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees, her accusers were not genuinely concerned with the upholding of the law, but rather with trapping Jesus.
They stood as ‘tall trees,’ confident in their righteousness and eager to bring down another. Their pointing fingers were extensions of their pride, their hearts convinced of their moral superiority. Jesus’s response was not to join in their condemnation but to quietly challenge their standing before a holy God.
He stooped down and wrote on the ground, and then uttered the now-famous words:
‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.’
One by one, from the oldest to the youngest, the accusers dispersed.
The prophet Ezekiel, speaking the words of God, declares:
‘I bring down the high tree, I make high the low tree, I dry up the green tree, and I make the dry tree flourish’ - Ezekiel 17:24.
The ‘high tree,’ reaching for the heavens in its strength and prominence, is a picture of a proud person, one destined to be brought low.
Jesus repeatedly taught this principle. In the Gospel of Luke, He states plainly:
"Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" Luke 14:11.
The act of pointing a finger at another sinner is an act of self-exaltation.
Pointing at others creates a false dichotomy between ‘us’ (the righteous) and ‘them’ (the sinners).
It is a dangerous position to assume, for it places one in the seat of judgment, a seat that belongs to God alone.
Laughing at others caught in their sins often closes our eyes to the planks in our own eyes while we fixate on the specks in the eyes of others (Matthew 7:3-5).
When confronted with the failings of others, whether a couple at a concert or a neighbor down the street, the appropriate Christian response is not to join the chorus of condemnation.
Caught at Coldplay is a call for character introspection.
It is an opportunity to turn the pointing finger back upon oneself and ask:
Where have I fallen short? In what ways have I been a 'tall tree' in my own heart?’
This posture of humility does not excuse sin, but it recognizes that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
What happened this week at the Coldplay concert is not a call for public shaming, but rather, a call for private introspection, to stay humble about one’s life and legacy.
The biblical warnings against pride serve as a reminder of our capacity for sin and our desperate need for grace, which is essential for truly understanding God's heart.
God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
It would be easy to point out others but as your picture of the pointing finger would show three pointing back at me! Knowing some of the things of those I consider close friends and what they have said or done I instead sit back and shake my head in disappointment. I’ve traveled down that path myself.
I remember you giving your observation on John 8: 6-11 that each person who had a stone looked over Jesus’ shoulder and saw his own sin written, dropped his stone, turned away and left. So on and so on until none were there to condemn. I try and hold true to that very belief. Not to condemn but love like Jesus. (I know I have failed at times but I will keep trying)
The video that went viral is no different than one who watches something on TV and needs to tell others, did you see. It gives them pleasure and self esteem. I will love those also.
Thank you for Ezekiel 17:24! A verse I once saw myself in. God never gave up on me, but had to bring me down to put me on the path He had planned for me from the beginning.
What speaks to me most about this Bible story is the One most ‘qualified’ to condemn and throw stones chose not to. He chose to give her another chance to do better.
Since her partner in adultery was not mentioned perhaps he was not present. Therefore he may have missed an opportunity to be forgiven.