Have you ever been falsely accused? Have you ever witnessed someone wrongly blamed for something that could cost them their job, reputation, or even life? Have you seen someone falsely accused of cheating on a spouse? Or someone nearly burned alive in a market square only to find out later it was all a lie?
Imagine a teenage girl wrongly accused of pregnancy, only for the truth to come out after her name had already been dragged through public shame. Or parents accusing their children of not being biologically theirs, only to later say, “I only heard it from someone.” These situations are traumatic, and even more so when they lead to imprisonment or death.
There’s a true story of a girl who ran away from home seeking greener pastures. Her family eventually believed she was dead. She ended up in prostitution in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria. One day, her brother saw her, called her by name, and she responded. But out of shame, she tried to escape. Her brother held her, and she threatened to shout “thief!” Knowing what would follow, the brother still held on. She screamed, and the crowd responded violently, beating him and preparing to burn him alive with a tyre and petrol.
As they prepared to kill him, one man noticed how the girl and her brother stared at each other. He asked the boy why he was looking at her that way. The boy replied, “She’s my sister. She ran away years ago.” The girl, through tears, confirmed it. The angry mob let them go. They embraced, reconciled, and went home.
False accusations destroy lives. In Daniel 13, Susanna was falsely accused, but God worked through Daniel to defend her. In Acts 28, Paul was accused and had to defend himself, though he found little justice. In today’s Gospel, Peter misjudges John, but Jesus quickly defends him.
Likewise, many innocent people are still suffering from false accusations today. What are we, as Christians and good citizens, doing to defend the innocent and speak for the voiceless?
May God, the Defender of the oppressed, rise for all who suffer unjustly, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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