Watch What You Say
My wife and I visited a restaurant recently, something we do rarely because we are attempting to be healthy eaters this year.
As we entered the restaurant, my wife said someone kept looking our way as if they knew us. I didn’t recognize the person or the persons in the party of people.
As we continued our meal, we were amazed at how loud the people in the party became. While the noise was a bit annoying, what really bothered us is the behavior of the adults at the table where there were also young, impressionable people.
The adults did not hesitate talking about other people and in one case, standing and mocking the way someone walks. Names were thrown around with no care whatsoever. I didn’t know any of the ones being the fodder of their laughter, but I did not find it amusing in the least.
A part of me wished they had mentioned someone I knew personally. Then, I would have intervened and said something. They didn’t mention anyone I knew personally, so I didn’t get the opportunity to intervene.
None of us like to be talked about by others, especially in public. I wonder if the tables were turned and this same group of folks was talked about in public how they would feel. My guess is that they would probably not feel very good at all.
I would venture that all of us at some point and time in our lives, when we were children, youth, or adults have said something not so nice about others or even, unfortunately, mocked someone else. Hopefully, this is something which has been done rarely and not routinely.
If we call ourselves Christian, the Bible speaks clearly about such behavior as simply not acceptable.
In Romans we read about the ungodliness and wickedness of humans. Within that listing, we find gossips, slanderers, haughty and boastful folks, heartless and ruthless folks. The kinds of folks most would prefer not to be if we call ourselves Christian.
Yet, somehow, as we read chapter 1, verses 18-32, we see a little of each one of us among this reading. We’re not perfect, but we can do better, and it can start with each one of us.
Over the years, real friends shared with me at different times what others were saying about me, which was as false as false could be.
I remember occasions in college, in graduate school, in my local churches, and in my jobs, when people told lies about me and thought nothing about it. Having loved and cared for some of these offenders, it hurt me deeply and made me more cautious about trusting others. Because of people like this, especially those who called themselves Christian, I became and still am a little distrusting of others. That’s what gossip can do, can’t it?
I pray that when you are in public, or wherever, you think about what you are saying about others because you could cause them to lose faith in Christians and in the goodness of humanity.