Nov. 14, 2010: 33rd Sunday Ordinary (C)
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Have you ever played a game called "Broken Telephone" or "Grapevine"? In this game, the first player whispers a phrase or sentence to the next player. Each player successively whispers what that player heard to the next. The last player announces the statement to the entire group. What happens? Most of the times the original message is so garbled, that we laugh. The world record for the largest game of "Broken Telephone" involved 614 people organized by a stage magician named Mac King. They did this in Harrah's Casino in Las Vegas in Janauary, 2004. The phrase that Mac King whispered to the first player was, "Mac King is a comedy magic genius." And Mac King correctly predicted what the 614th person would say. "Macaroni cantaloupe knows the future."
(Picture: "Don't say I said it" by Norman Rockwell)Gossip has always been a part of human life. How do we know? We find references in the Old Testament in the Book of Proverbs. One such reference is, "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts. (Prov 18:8) Elsewhere in Proverbs, it reads that friendships are destroyed (Proverbs 16: 28) and quarrels are provoked (Proverbs 26: 20). How many of you would agree with the Old Testament? All of us have been involved with spreading gossip and also have been hurt by gossip. Even our Second Reading takes this topic up. St. Paul says to the Thessalonians, "We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others. Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food."
What's wrong with gossip? Some folks tell me in the confessional, "Father, I told a little gossip about someone. Is it a mortal sin? What I told was true. I wasn't lying." If you want a good rule to remember about whether to tell what you heard to another person, remember this one, "Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?"
Is it true? - The definition of rumor is, "a piece of unverified information of uncertain origin usually spread by word of mouth." So by its nature gossip is already mixed with untruth.
Is it kind? Is it necessary? - The Book of Leviticus says, “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.” (Lev 19:16) Endangering your neighbor's life, with gossip? Yes.
St. Paul challenges all of us to build up someone with our words, not tear down. He says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Eph 4:29) All of us are called to holiness. We must respond to Our Heavenly Father's call for our thoughts, feelings, and actions to be holy. Just as Jesus' entire life was a response to that call, we are to do the same. If Jesus heard what we are about to say about someone, would he be pleased?
