Coldplay’s “kiss-cam” incident during a concert in Massachusetts sparked widespread attention and controversy. At the center of the event was Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company’s head of human resources, Kristin Cabot, who were caught in an intimate moment on the jumbotron screen, prompting Coldplay frontman Chris Martin to humorously speculate about their relationship. During the concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, the kiss-cam captured Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot in an embrace, which went viral on social media. The viral nature of the kiss-cam moment led to parodies – from memes to mascots – as media influencers poked fun at the tech CEOs extramarital date with his personnel officer and created a global obsession.
The Scripture and God’s Missional Story
As Christian believers we know that the scripture is the story of God’s mission of redemption, reconciliation, restoration and renewal – that God is reconciling all things unto himself (Colossians 1:20). The Bible records that story from the beginning of creation in Genesis to the new creation in the book of Revelation.
As Christopher Wright has pointed out, not only is the Bible the record of that redemptive story but it is the product of that story. So, the life of Jesus gives us glimpses into how the redemptive story interacts with people, places, and relationships.
Jesus and Throwing Stones
A friend of mine, Mark West, wrote a great Facebook post that addressed this incident in light of the life of Jesus. He wrote:
Jesus spoke to this whole matter of singling out the sins of others, while excusing our own. A woman who was caught in adultery was brought before Jesus by a mob of finger pointers. The mob, composed of the religious elite, was ready to stone the woman for her transgression. (Note the man in the adulterous affair was absent. Hmm.) The mob then asked Jesus about the commandment from Moses that instructed them to stone the woman. Jesus took a few moments before answering them, perhaps giving the mob some time to think about their own sins.
When Jesus finally spoke he uttered these words, which have resonated throughout the last 2,000 years:
“…𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚!” John 8:7
As Jesus spoke this profound truth, the mob, starting with the oldest in age, departed. While the passage does not say this, I can imagine that as the mob left, they dropped their stones, with their heads hung in shame.
Mark West highlighted that God’s redemptive story offers a biblical narrative (a product of that redemptive story) that fittingly relates to the kiss-cam Coldplay incident. The media influencers who seized the moment to create memes and mascots and those who laughed at them are no different than the accusers of the adulterous woman in John 8.
The Scripture as a Missional Tool for Today
The Biblical story is more than a record of the story of redemption 2000 plus years ago. The Biblical story is an instructive tool that enables us to respond correctly to people and situations we face today. Just as God was at work in the pages of scripture, so too, God’s work is in progress today.
In the Old Testament, Israel lived in the midst of the nations to demonstrate the compassion, justice, and mercy of God. In the New Testament, the gospels provide Christian believers with accounts of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ collaborated by eyewitnesses and the book of Acts and the epistles give us accounts of the interactions of followers of Jesus as they participated in the mission of God.
These accounts equip the people of God for their missional task of living as “God’s people for the sake of God’s mission in the world.” (Wright, The Great Story and the Great Commission).
The Mission of God at the Coldplay Concert
So, is God at work in the kiss-cam incident? I believe God is:
- While God is not the author of sin, God uses the actions of humanity to bring about his will and further his purposes.
- This incident and the reactions of a global audience mirror the story of the adulterous couple in John 8.
Mark West explained it this way:
Fast-forward 2,000 years to the present day. Imagine for just a moment that a mob is dragging the Coldplay couple before Jesus. They are all jeering at and condemning the couple’s behavior, with stones in hand. They shout out to Jesus to condemn this couple for their illicit affair. But Jesus, peering into the eyes of everyone in the mob, stops and looks into one particular set of eyes, mine. And He says, “Mark, if you’ve never sinned, throw the first stone!” And then he looks to you, calls you by name, and utters the same statement.
It’s then that you and I see our own sin and depravity. We realize that we are no different than this couple. Instead of their faces broadcast on the Jumbotron, we now see a different face. It’s my face, or yours. They were just caught publicly. Our sin may be different. But our hearts are identical: Filthy. Broken. Incapable on our own of leaving our sins behind. It’s then that we hang our heads, drop our stones, and walk away in shame.
But the couple, condemned by a nation, is still standing in front of Jesus. Fearful and ashamed, as an entire nation has condemned them. But Jesus, offers them the greatest gift of all when he says:
“𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙨? 𝘿𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪?” “𝙉𝙤, 𝙇𝙤𝙧𝙙,” 𝙩𝙝𝙚 [𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙥𝙡𝙚] 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙, “𝙉𝙚𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙤 𝙄. 𝙂𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙣 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚.” John 8:10-11 [I replaced “she” with “couple”]
Think about that. The very one whose trip to this world was to suffer a humiliating death, because of the sins of this couple (and my sins and yours), did not condemn the very couple that a nation was eager to condemn. He simply told them to stop sinning.
But here’s the question we all need to consider when it comes to throwing stones: Did I just temporarily drop my stones, or do I plan to pick them up again at the first opportunity?
God help us to look at others the way Jesus did, and to focus on our own sins versus the sins of others. It’s only when I focus inward to deal with my own sins through the grace that Jesus offers each of us, that God’s gift of eternal life can be received. And as I mature in my walk with Jesus, it’s then that I will be able to stop doing what we all find so easy to do: “𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀…”
- For Missional Christians this event opens the door for gospel-centered conversations.
In the kiss-cam Coldplay incident, the attention of millions of people was directed to the sin of two people. The way in which their sin was made known created a sensation. So, what is God doing in this event?
Simply – through the kiss-cam incident God provides a door for global gospel-centered conversations.
This incident provides the perfect opening for Christian believers to engage people around them in a conversation of sin and its consequences. In the incident, the CEO called his actions “a mistake.” What a colossal one it was! But haven’t we all made colossal “mistakes”?
The example of Jesus provides us with the answer of how to respond to others around us as we discuss the incident. Today, won’t you join God’s mission in progress to bring about redemption, reconciliation, and renewal? Start a gospel-centered conversation!
Sources
Wright, Christopher J. H. The Great Story and the Great Commission: Participating in the Biblical Drama of Mission. Baker Academic, 2023.
West, Mark. “Throwing Stones.” Facebook post, July 21, 2025
Dr. Curt Watke is a distinguished missiologist whose three-plus-decade-long career has significantly impacted Christian mission work in North America, particularly in under-reached and challenging regions. Holding a Ph.D. in Evangelism and Missions, Dr. Watke has focused on bridging cultural gaps and fostering sustainable Christian communities by developing innovative strategies that address contemporary challenges like globalization, urbanization, and religious pluralism. His emphasis on cultural sensitivity and contextualization in mission work is reflected in his collaborative writings, including notable works such as “Ministry Context Exploration: Understanding North American Cultures” and “Starting Reproducing Congregations.” Beyond his writing, Dr. Watke is a sought-after speaker and educator, lecturing at seminaries and conferences worldwide, and his teachings continue to inspire and equip new generations of missional leaders. His enduring legacy is marked by unwavering dedication to the mission of God and a profound influence on missional thought and practice. Dr. Watke serves as President and Professor of Evangelism & Missiology at Missional University.
