Now that the dust has settled on her four-hour reign of terror, let’s talk about Sister Cindy Smock.
I was walking to the semicircle with my friend and executive editor, Lexie Presta, as we heard a screeching voice that was all too familiar. I picked it up within seconds.
“Is that Sister Cindy?” I gasped with a sense of horror but also excitement and awe. Lexie didn’t know who I was talking about.
As we walked to Lexington Avenue, there was Smock in all her glory. Wearing her “Hell is Hot, Don’t be a Thot” shirt and a long red skirt to match, the Tiktok celebrity and “evangelist” was “preaching” to our students.
Smock used to appear on my “for-you” page on TikTok all the time. I would annoy my mom by saying she is an icon, telling people to be a “ho no mo.” My friends and I would joke about her, calling her a queen.
I stayed there and listened to Smock for over an hour, collecting videos as a reporter should do if a crazy woman screams heresy on campus for all to hear. Her speech was a constant stream of hate, complete with vulgar and extreme language. The longer I stayed, the more I began to think. And the more I began to think, the sadder I became.
This woman, who claims to be a Christian, is traveling across campuses and preaching her gospel. Not our Gospel, but a gospel of hate and vengeance against Christians and others alike. We were able to laugh, and we were laughing because (hopefully) we know that this is not what the love of Jesus is. We know this lady is unhinged, and not to be taken seriously. It made me so grateful for Asbury and the love of Jesus, but I am struggling to figure out what our roles as students were supposed to be during the time she spent on campus..
We gave this woman attention and the time of day. When we laughed, we gave her the encouragement to continue. If we thought it was ridiculous and stayed anyway, then we were mocking her. Neither represents the love of Jesus. However, what else were we supposed to do? We are human. It is in our nature to observe, listen and react. We also need to understand what we are facing as a Christian community, so I do not have an answer about what we should have done.
What horrifies me the most is that Smock is preaching at state schools. What happens when unbelievers hear Smock talk like that? How does that make them feel? Even if it is all an act and she is not serious, Smock likely turns skeptics farther away from Christ and not toward the love of our God. It is a confirmation of their beliefs.
My favorite part of the day was when the lawnmowers and leaf blowers showed up, drowning out her profane cries. Coincidence or not, I am glad we have an administration that cares about the people influencing and pouring into our lives.
Smock’s appearance on campus showed me what we are up against as Christians. I do not think it is ever going to get easier. The belief that calling people names will bring them to Jesus is unbiblical and traumatizing.
As students, our response to this situation has to be love. I encourage all students to read 1 Peter 4. We need to be there for people. We need to show up for our friends and the people around us. We must make our voices louder than hers.
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” – 1 Peter 4:8
