Grace and the Scandal of a Kiss Cam: A Spiritual Warning and a Deeper Hope
Dear New Life in Christ Church Family,
By now, you’ve likely seen the viral video. At a recent concert a band’s “Kiss Cam” zoomed in on a couple in an intimate embrace. What was meant to be a playful moment quickly turned awkward. The woman covered her face. The man dove for cover. The lead singer fumbled: “Wow. Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.”
It wasn't that they were shy. As the internet quickly discovered, the couple wasn’t married, at least not to each other. One was the CEO of a billion-dollar company. The other was the company’s chief people officer. The fallout was swift: public shaming, resignation, memes, and, most painfully, devastated families back home.
Most people laughed. Some celebrated. Many mocked. Our best response is sorrow. We know couples where one was caught. The grief is real. The trauma is incalculable. But never so public. Never with 77 million people watching.
And yet, that scene is more than a cultural moment. It’s a spiritual parable. Psalm 90:8 says, “You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” There is no hiding from God. Theologians call this reality coram Deo, which means living before the face of God.
In that moment of exposure, the couple’s shame told the story. Guilt is the reality of wrongdoing. Shame is the fear of being seen. That fear has been with us since Eden. Adam and Eve sinned, felt naked, and hid. They tried to cover themselves. But fig leaves don’t work, not then and not now. When guilt surfaces, it scrambles for cover. And that’s what we all do when we’re caught.
What’s sobering is that the panic of that couple didn’t create their guilt. It revealed it. And that’s how shame often works. Excusing and rationalizing our sinful choices works only until the lights come on. And whether or not we ever go viral, we all will stand before God. “Nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).
But here’s where grace enters.
Jesus didn’t come to mock us or post our worst moments on the jumbotron of heaven. He came to seek and to save sinners. He came to save those who have scandalized themselves. He didn’t come to destroy but to bear our guilt and cover our shame. The cross wasn’t merely a spectacle of human suffering. It was a demonstration of God's grace. Jesus Christ took our place by taking on our sin. He died in our place, in our guilt, becoming our substitute.
In His grace, God exposes in order to restore. He brings sin into the light, not to humiliate but to heal. That’s the kind of Savior we have: one who loves adulterers and liars and failures enough to call them to repentance, life, and salvation. So what should we do when shame touches our own hearts?
First, come clean. Psalm 51 shows us the way: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love… For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” Don’t wait for exposure. Bring your sins to the cross. Confession is not humiliation. It’s healing.
Second, keep short accounts with God. Don’t let guilt linger in the shadows. Make confession a rhythm. Ask regularly, “Lord, is there anything I’m hiding?” He already knows. He’s not waiting to crush you. He’s ready to forgive.
Third, cling to the church. You were never meant to carry sin and shame alone. That’s why Christ gave you pastors, elders, and Christian friends. Talk to someone. Grace often begins with a hard but honest conversation.
Fourth, pursue integrity. Not just the avoidance of sin, but the freedom of living openly before God. “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous… The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:15, 18). Integrity is what happens when no one is watching, when we live before God, with lives complete in Him.
One day, the camera will turn toward you. Maybe not at a concert. Maybe not in this life. But you will appear before the only face that truly matters: the One seated on the throne.
And when you do, you will not stand in shame if you are hidden in Christ. “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:11). That promise is real. It’s for all who come. Not just to remove guilt, but to break sin’s power. Not just to erase our past, but to make us into new creatures.
So don’t fear the light. Step into it. You’ll find mercy there. And joy. And a Savior who never looks away.
Faithfully yours, Pastor Sean