Proverbs 11
9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.
10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
12 He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
(Scripture taken from the King James Version, 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States. To read this passage from The Message, go to www.biblegateway.com and do a passage lookup.)
We’ve talked about gossip before and how hurtful it can be. But have you considered the impact gossip has on your neighbors and community? When I was in high school, the journalism class published a weekly school newspaper. There were reports of upcoming club meetings, accounts of the school athletic events of the week, profiles of some of the students and faculty, and general news and calendar-type information.
And then there was a “dedication” page, where one student could submit a song “dedication” to another student or faculty member, such as “I Honestly Love You” from a girlfriend to a boyfriend, or maybe someone would dedicate a song with an encouraging title to the football team after a loss. And sometimes, the dedications were anonymous… and mean and nasty! “You’re No Good” or “Witchy Woman” to a teacher, or “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves” or “It’s Too Late” to hurt a student’s feelings. The student body spent the whole week trying to figure out who sent which one, and often, the recipient of the “dedication” was hurt and confused and left to wonder why such a thing was done… and by whom.
Even worse, there was another page of one-liners such as “who was seen sitting in a blue Dodge pickup truck with John Doe after school last Wednesday… and does Susie Sunshine know about this?” Or… “we’ve heard that Mary You-know-who is wearing Bob What’s-his-name’s class ring… can wedding bells be coming?” Or… “Jim Big-shot, what WAS that you were drinking at Carol Cutie’s party the other night?” It may all seem like harmless drivel, but a lot of the “reports” and accusations made were not fully accurate. They were based on the hearsay of fellow students, and when printed, they were accepted by the student body as truth. Worse yet, these weekly papers were distributed throughout the community to business owners who bought advertising to help support the printing of the papers. So, not only did this information permeate the school student body, but adults throughout the community had access to this gossip as well.
I don’t know if this sort of information is included in school newspapers today. I know that our local newspapers contain certain types of “public information” that could easily be considered fodder for the gossip mills… think Marriage/Divorce records, the Bankruptcy Report, and the list of Outstanding Warrants. And if you spoke to the editor, he/she would defend this information as “a matter of public record.” That may very well be, but few people would drive to the local courthouse each week to research this information, and yet it’s hard NOT to notice it when it takes up a good chunk of real estate on the pages of your local newspaper.
So as Christians, what are we to do? Should we stop reading the newspaper and talking to our neighbors and friends? Not necessarily. But we can choose whether to read these “reports.” We can choose whether to discuss them with others afterward. We could possibly write a letter to our editor(s) and express our disappointment… suggesting that this negative information be replaced with a more positive report of something good that is happening in our community or school. And we can be sure that we do not actively participate in this type of behavior… by not dedicating songs or giving “tips” to the reporters. When someone starts discussing something that could be considered gossip, we can simply say, “That does not concern me.”
We can strive to be good neighbors… the kind who God says keep quiet… and by doing so, support their neighbors and keep their city safe. We can make a difference in our school and community. We can be good neighbors and citizens. So how are you doing these days?
©2007 Debbie Robus
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