Gossip, a Church Illness

How does illness seep into the church community? It is like a poison that quietly develops and patiently festers until one day it infects everything and everybody. One of the main culprits is gossip. As human being we love to hear the struggles of others and the juicy details that make the stories so rich with sin. Gossip is a church killer and if left unchecked it is a poison like no other. It has laid ruin to many a rector, assistant and layperson. Gossip is hurtful as it is often without truth or merit.  At best it is a distortion of the facts.

Gossip grows and spreads not only because people are naturally attracted to such stories, but also it creates a dynamic in which we don’t have to look at ourselves, and our shortcomings. Life is much more pleasant when its focus is off of us and on another. People take more delight out of throwing a stone at someone rather than having the stone thrown at us. Unfortunately we Christians have become rather good at casting stones. There seems to be the need of a perpetual scapegoat in which we can direct our attention. Along with others we gather like feeding swine gobbling up every little detail. Although we deny it, creating pain and suffering in another persons life is an ongoing task. It seems the more they are down, the easier the target they become.

Gossip makes the church ill and is absolutely toxic to a healthy spiritual life. Gossip under minds Christ’s teaching to love our neighbor as ourselves. Amongst other sins, the Apostle Paul speaks out against it and its corrosive nature.

God calls us to reach out to the down trodden and the sinner, not trod them down. God’s house in many ways is like one big rehab center. We’re all there because we are sick. I don’t know of one single perfect person who attends church. We are there because we are in need of redemption and renewal. We attend church not because we have all the right answers, but because we have very few. We attend church in order to develop and cultivate relationships, not tear them down. Does this mean we will always get along with everyone? No! Of course not, but that doesn’t give us the right to gossip about a person and seek character assassination.

I encourage us this Lent to take a good look at ourselves and our motives. What do we thrive on? Is it the misfortunes of others or the opportunity to reach out to them in genuine love. God reaches out to us and offers us grace and forgiveness. Can we do the same, and in the process produce a healthy church?