The court of public opinion is fickle.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been watching closely the libel trial of Johnny Depp against Amber Heard. It’s not that I enjoy celebrity gossip or have a morbid curiosity about the salacious details of the lives of the rich and famous.

I simply find the trial interesting on a psychological level.

If you don’t know what I am talking about, the actor, Johnny Depp, is suing his ex-wife, Amber Heard, for publishing an editorial in The Washington Post in 2018, in which she implies that Depp had been physically abusive to her during their short marriage. Following the editorial, Depp became a pariah in Hollywood. Nobody would hire him.

Depp is suing her to recuperate a portion of his financial losses, but even more importantly, to restore his tarnished image. Interestingly enough, the court of public opinion has definitely shifted. The evidence and testimony so far have painted Ms. Heard as an imbalanced, volatile woman who tortured Johnny Depp.

Most people now feel sorry for him and dislike her.

Four years ago, Johnny Depp was “canceled” because of the accusations which were made against him. At the time, the “Me Too” movement was in full swing. Women who had been abused and mistreated were being encouraged to stand up and speak out.

The problem with such accusations is that, though many were true, some were not. The court of public opinion, however, found all of the accused equally guilty. Many forms of media reported accusations as fact without first investigating the claims. Companies and especially the entertainment industry quickly separated themselves from anyone accused. Cancel culture was in full swing.

Joe McCarthy would have been proud.

As a pastor, I struggle deeply with this issue. On the one hand, we want to encourage those who are mistreated and abused to stand up and speak out. We want to protect them and bring their abusers to justice.

On the other hand, we have to be careful not to naively assume that all who make such claims are telling the truth. I personally know individuals whose lives and reputations have been irreparably damaged by false accusations.

So as Christians, how should we respond to accusations raised by those who claim abuse? How should we respond to our culture which is quick to cancel those who are accused? First of all, we don’t assume guilt or innocence. We reach out in love to victims, but we also seek to get all the facts before coming to any conclusions. We listen and love. We refrain from engaging in idle gossip mongering on social media.

We realize that the court of public opinion is fickle. We rarely have all the facts. Everybody was convinced four years ago that Johnny Depp was a violent abuser. Many are convinced now that Amber Heard is a sadistic manipulator. Soon the courts will decide one way or another. Even then, though, it will be hard to know what really happened in their home.

And that’s the point. The court of public opinion is fickle. The courts of our country’s legal system are fallible. One court, however, cannot fail. God knows the truth. In the end, he will make sure justice is done, if not in this life, then in the next.

So be careful not to get swept up in the court of public opinion. Leave the judging to a higher court.

Pastor Andrew Schroer has been a pastor for over 20 years and is currently serving at Redeemer Lutheran Church with campuses in Edna and Victoria, Texas. Read more of his devotional writing and contact him at 364DaysofThanksgiving.com. His new book “364 Days of Devotion” is now available on amazon.com.