Perez Hilton’s livestream was the stuff of nightmares — a potentially demonic episode — and has laid bare the dark underbelly of social media, in more ways than one.
On the periphery of the scandal, a TikTok live video feed that ran nearly half an hour and showed Hilton covered in blood and repeatedly harming himself, was another troubling indication of cultural decay: a society that cares not about praying for our enemies but about getting even.
Jared Padalecki, who rose to fame in the early 2000s as one of the stars of “Gilmore Girls,” has used his clout to advocate for mental wellness, so it’s particularly striking to see him not only rescind but apologize for wishing Hilton well amidst his recovery from what was and will be a decisively defining and deeply dark moment in his life.
Initially, Padalecki wrote on social media, “I hope you are trying as best as you can to be kind to yourself right now. Please surround yourself with the love and support that all humans deserve.”
It wasn’t long before the “Supernatural” star faced swift condemnation for his kindhearted message to the celebrity gossip blogger. Padalecki deleted the post and apologized for publicly hoping for healing for Hilton, telling critics he “didn’t know” about the columnist’s career.
Padalecki went on to apologize for his “words caus[ing] any harm” and added he hopes everyone is “taking care of yourselves.”
It was Padalecki’s first instinct — his wish for Hilton’s healing — that was correct, regardless of Hilton’s checkered past and his indefensible work as a gossip blogger, actions that undoubtedly caused harm to the celebrities who were subject to his coverage.
That’s exactly what Jesus commands of us as His followers in Matthew 5:44-47 (NLT).
“But I say to you,” Jesus preached, “love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.”
He went on to say, “For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.”
Then, in Romans 12:17-21 (NLT), the Apostle Paul warned against taking revenge or seeking vengeance against others:
Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.
Instead, ‘If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.’
Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
Our petition for God to intervene — for the healing of another human being made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) — should never be predicated on what he or she has done in the past. Rather, it should be the outpouring of gratitude for a forgiveness gifted to us by a Savior who asks each of us to forgive one another in the same way God, through Jesus, has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).
Hilton, who in recent months has professed a faith in Jesus, needs prayer — regardless of the sins of his past.
All of us should absolutely be held accountable for our errors, missteps, and wrongdoings; taking responsibility for our actions is a necessary consequence of the choices we each make in this life. None of that, though, absolves us of the duty to pray for those around us or to need the prayers of others.
In the King James Version translation of 1 Peter 2:9, the Apostle Peter wrote that believers are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people” in the world.
While social media is preying on our worst instincts — our fallen nature — to belittle, disparage, and denigrate, we follow a God who is calling us to do the opposite, to be peculiar by praying for the redemption of those trapped in dark places distant from the Lord.
As the psalmist wrote, I pray that, even as Hilton walks through the “darkest valley,” he would find the Shepherd who “leads me beside peaceful streams,” “renews my strength,” and “guides me along right paths” (Psalm 23:1-4, NLT).
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