Are We Tolerating Sin in The Name of Truth?
There is at this moment, a sin that is eating at the heart and soul of this nation. A sin that we not only tolerate but celebrate. A sin, that a sinning nation have essentially forgotten. The sin is called gossip. I know, ‘gossip’ probably sounds like a subject for a Sunday School lesson. I assure you that not only is gossip a sin, it is a subject vitally important for more ‘mature’ believers.
Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I heard anyone talk about gossip. The only reason I’m writing about it now is that it was weighing on my soul recently. Why? Because I’m a serial gossiper, so I’m not here to judge anyone else. Once I realized how tolerant I had become of this sin in my life I realized how pervasive gossip really is. Seriously, this is everywhere. Pervading over every single news organization and about 95% of social media. Everywhere, we are talking about things that, to be very frank, are none of our business.
You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.” – Psalm 52:4
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.” Psalm 34:13
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.” – James 3:6
This actually is a fairly serious sin. One I fall into almost daily, and I’m ashamed to admit that. I never think of it as being deceitful in any way, in my mind what I’m doing is just trying to ‘get at the truth’. Instead, what I end up doing is spreading around a bunch of utterly unfounded rumors about things that are absolutely none of my business. Things that do not pertain to me at all, and only serve to drain my mental and spiritual energy. Which makes me less useful overall.
Are We Seeking The Truth or Seeking to Tear Down?
It’s everywhere. There are people who make a better income than me only by spreading around a bunch of negative rumors (many of which end up being untrue) about other people they have never met, and probably never will. Think of that. Entire people who make a very good income by tearing apart other people’s reputations.
Now, I’ll go over what makes this a really complex topic. There are people, especially in the faith community who are covering up terrible things that absolutely should be brought to light. And guess what? Someone has to do it. I’m thinking here of journalists like Julie Royce, who is doing excellent work. If there is a case of abuse or fraud, to protect those who can’t help themselves, then it is essential that such deeds be exposed. No question. Here is one of my absolute favorite passages;
“When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the square, the young men saw me and withdrew, and the aged rose and stood; the princes refrained from talking and laid their hand on their mouth; the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved, because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him. The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth.” Job 29:7-17
Seriously, that’s an epic passage. Obviously, we are not called to sit passively. And let’s face it; it seems like there is deception, fraud and abuse going rampant. It absolutely makes sense for people to want to expose it. Really, I get it. But that doesn’t excuse the terrible sort of things we are spreading, the way we are polluting the internet (which has enough toxic sewage as is) with all sorts of things that are none of our business.
Expose Wickedness, Promote Truth
If we’re going to expose clear acts of abuse and fraud, I absolutely support such efforts. But we are going to have to do so without degenerating into trashy tabloid reporting. This will require no shortage of wisdom and prayer. It means that before we even think about ‘exposing’ anyone, we ought to think seriously about the impact of what we are doing. Are we actually seeking the truth, or are we simply seeking to tear down?
“If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before the great. The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders.” (Proverbs 18:13-17)
In this age of social media and instant everything, these words could not be more important.
Let’s face it, gossip may seem harmless, and it may sound like a Sunday School lecture. I get it and all, but this really is a pervasive sin that we aren’t taking seriously enough. It’s become so normative, so accepted that we have gotten to the point we think it isn’t a problem. The problem is that unlike many seemingly ‘worse’ sins, we somehow think that it is perfectly acceptable. When it really shouldn’t be. This is a deeper issue of the mind, a twisted desire to tear others apart. Like I said, I’m as guilty as anyone else of this. The only thing I’m really advocating here is for compassion in both our thoughts and our words.
