| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index |
Speaking
Gossip
Christians don’t gossip. They just
share prayer requests! ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Gossip
The difference between news and gossip
lies in whether you raise your voice or lower it. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Gossip
John Dryden
a seventeenth-century
british dramatist and poet
once commented on man’s propensity to gossip:
There
is a lust in man no charm can tame
Of
loudly publishing his neighbor’s shame.
Hence
on eagles’ wings immortal scandals fly
While
virtuous actions are but born and die.
── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Gossip
In King Henry IV
Shakespeare
observed:
Rumor
is a pipe
Blown
by surmises
jealousies
conjectures
And
of so easy and so plain a stop
That
the blunt monster with uncounted heads
The
still-discordant wavering multitude
Can
play upon it.
And how certain Christians can play
that pipe! ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Lying
He said likewise
That
a lie which is half a truth is ever the blackest of lies
That
a lie which is all a lie may be met and fought with outright
But
a lie which is part a truth is a harder matter to fight.— Alfred
Lord Tennyson
Silence
One of the lessons of history is that
nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say. ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》
Speaking
Blessed are they who have nothing to
say and cannot be persuaded to say it.— James Russell Lowell
Speaking
The six most important words: “I admit
I made a mistake.”
The
five most important words: “You did a good job.”
The
four most important words: “What is your opinion?”
The
three most important words: “If you please.”
The
two most important words: “Thank you.”
The
most important word: “We”.
The
least important word: “I”.
── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Tongue
I said a very naughty word
only the other day.
It
was a truly naughty word I had not meant to say.
Bu
then
it was not really lost
when from my lips it flew;
My
little brother picked it up
and now he says it too.
── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Control of Tongue
If your lips you would keep
from slips
Five
things observe with care:
To
whom you speak; of whom you speak;
And
how
and when
and where.— William Norris
Of the 800
000 words
in the English language. 300
000 are technical terms.
The average person knows
10
000 words and uses 5
000 in everyday speech. A journalist knows
approximately 15
000 and uses around 10
000.
Source Unknown.
According to a story in
the Grand Rapids Press
the owner of a small foreign car had begun to irritate
his friends by bragging incessantly about his gas mileage. So they decided on a
way to get some humor out of his tireless boasting
as well as bring it to an
end. Every day one of them would sneak into the parking lot where the man kept
his car and pour a few gallons of gas into the tank. Soon the braggart was
recording absolutely phenomenal mileage. He was boasting of getting as much as
90 miles per gallon
and the pranksters took secret delight in his exasperation
as he tried to convince people of the truthfulness of his claims. It was even
more fun to watch his reaction when they stopped refilling the tank. The poor
fellow couldn't figure out what had happened to his car.
Grand Rapids Press.
A sightseeing bus was
making the rounds through Washington
D.C.
and the driver was pointing out
spots of interest. As they passed the Pentagon building
he mentioned that it
cost taxpayers millions of dollars and that it took a year and a half to build.
While everyone was looking at it
a little old woman piped up: "In Peoria
we could have built the same building for less
and it would have been
completed even sooner than that!" The next sight on the tour was the
Justice Department building. Once again the bus driver said that it cost so
many millions to build and took almost two years to complete. The woman
repeated: "In Peoria we would have done it for less money
and it would
have been finished much sooner." The tour finally came to the Washington
Monument
and the driver just passed slowly by without saying a word. The old
woman was curious. "Hey
" she shouted to the driver
"what's
that tall white building back there?" The driver looked out the window
waited a minute and then said
"Search me
lady. It wasn't there
yesterday."
Source Unknown.
Winston Churchill
exemplified integrity and respect in the face of opposition. During his last
year in office
he attended an official ceremony. Several rows behind him two
gentlemen began whispering. "That's Winston Churchill." "They
say he is getting senile." "They say he should step aside and leave
the running of the nation to more dynamic and capable men." When the
ceremony was over
Churchill turned to the men and said
"Gentlemen
they
also say he is deaf!"
Barbara Hatcher
Vital
Speeches
March 1
1987.
Many years ago the Moody
Church News carried a humorous story about a woman in a small town who was know
for being a gossip. One day on vacation she visited the offices of The Chicago
Daily News. She was wearing a white dress and inadvertently leaned against a
wall where a freshly printed copy of the front page was hanging. It was a hot
humid day
and some of the print came off on the back of her white dress.
Later
as she walked down
the street to meet her husband
she noticed that people walking behind her were
snickering. When she reached the place where her husband was waiting
she asked
him if there was anything on her back that shouldn't be there. As she turned
around
he read the large black reversed letters: sweN ylaiD. Realizing the
appropriateness of the words
he said
"No
dear
nothing's on your back
that doesn't belong there."
Our Daily Bread
June 23
1994.
Four preachers met for a
friendly gathering. During the conversation one preacher said
"Our people
come to us and pour out their hears
confess certain sins and needs. Let's do
the same. Confession is good for the soul." In due time all agreed. One
confessed he liked to go to movies and would sneak off when away from his
church. The second confessed to liking to smoke cigars and the third one
confessed to liking to play cards. When it came to the fourth one
he wouldn't
confess. The others pressed him saying
"Come now
we confessed ours. What
is your secret or vice?" Finally he answered
"It is gossiping and I
can hardly wait to get out of here."
Christopher News Notes
June 1992.
In 1887 the coffin of
Abraham Lincoln was pried open to determine if it contained his body. What
makes that act so remarkable is the fact that Lincoln's body had rested in that
coffin for 22 years. Yet
even more amazing is that 14 years later a rumor
circulated again that Lincoln's coffin was actually empty. The furor so gripped
the land that the only way to silence it was to dig up the coffin--again. This
was done and the rumor silenced when a handful of witnesses viewed the lifeless
body of Abraham Lincoln.
Today in the Word
February
1991
p. 27.
I once formed a mutual
encouragement fellowship at a time of stress in one of my pastorates. The
members subscribed to a simple formula applied before speaking of any person or
subject that was perhaps controversial.
T--Is it true?
H--Is it helpful?
I--Is it inspiring?
N--Is it necessary?
K--Is it kind?
If what I am about to say
does not pass those tests
I will keep my mouth shut! And it worked!
Alan Redpath
A Passion
for Preaching.
Some people will believe
anything if it is whispered to them.
Pierre de Marivaux.
Gossip is the most deadly
microbe. It has neither legs nor wings. It is composed entirely of tales
and
most of them have stings.
Morris Mandel in Bits
& Pieces
June
1990
p. 22.
So live that you wouldn't
be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.
Will Rogers.
If you don't say it
they can't
repeat it. Yiddish folklore offers a telling tale about gossip-makers. One such
man had told so many malicious untruths about the local rabbi that
overcome by
remorse
he begged the rabbi to forgive him. "And
Rabbi
tell me how I
can make amends." The rabbi sighed
"Take two pillows
go to the
public square and there cut the pillows open. Wave them in the air. Then come
back." The rumormonger quickly went home
got two pillows and a knife
hastened to the square
cut the pillows open
waved them in the air and
hastened back to the rabbi's chambers. "I did just what you said
Rabbi!" "Good." The rabbi smiled. "Now
to realize how much
harm is done by gossip
go back to the square..." "And?"
"And collect all your feathers."
From Hooray for Yiddish.
In the course of your
conversation each and every day
Think twice
try to be careful of what you have to say;
Your remarks may be picked up by someone's listening ear
You may be surprised at what some people think they hear.
Things that you innocently say
or try to portray
Can be changed
and greatly exaggerated along the way;
Many stories change for the worse as they are retold.
So try to keep any questionable remarks "on hold."
May I give all of you some very sound advice?
When you speak of others
say something nice;
Try to say good things
regardless of who is around
If you have nothing good to say
don't utter a sound.
You may find that an innocent remark
in the end
May lose you a close and valued friend.
Henry Lesser
Teamwork
Darnell
Corporation.
Have you heard of the
terrible family They
And the dreadful venomous things They say?
Why
half the gossip under the sun
If you trace it back
you will find begun
In that wretched House of They.
Ellen Wilcox Wheeler.
Kondraty Ryleyev was
sentenced to be hanged for his part in an unsuccessful uprising against the
Russian czar Nicholas I in December 1825. But the rope broke and Ryleyev
bruised and battered
fell to the ground
got up
and said
"In Russia
they do not know how to do anything properly
not even how to make a
rope." An accident of this sort usually resulted in a pardon
so a
messenger was sent to the czar to know his pleasure. Nicholas asked
"What
did he say?"
"Sire
he said that
in Russia they do not even know how to make a rope properly."
"Well
let the contrary be proved
" said the czar.
Today in the Word
March 13
1993.
In 1887 the coffin of
Abraham Lincoln was pried open to determine if it contained his body. What
makes that act so remarkable is the fact that Lincoln's body had rested in that
coffin for 22 years. Yet
even more amazing is that 14 years later a rumor
circulated again that Lincoln's coffin was actually empty. The furor so gripped
the land that the only way to silence it was to dig up the coffin--again. This
was done and the rumor silenced when a handful of witnesses viewed the lifeless
body of Abraham Lincoln.
Today in the Word
February
1991
p. 27.
Talk is cheap because the
supply always exceeds the demand. One of the lessons of history is that nothing
is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.
Will Durant.
Because a woman's vocal
cords are shorter than a man's she can actually speak with less effort than he
can. Shorter vocal cords not only cause a woman's voice to be more highly
pitched
but also require less air to become agitated
making it possible for
her to talk more with less energy expended.
Sparks
quoted in Homemade
Dec.
1984.
Several years ago a
professor at the University of Pennsylvania was know for giving boring
clich?ridden lectures. At the beginning of one semester
an innovative class
breathed new life into his course by assigning baseball plays to each hackneyed
phrase. For example
"on the other hand" was a base hit; "by the
same token" was a strikeout; "and so on" was a stolen base.
Divided into two teams by the center aisle of the lecture hall
the students
throughout the term played inning after inning of silent but vigorous baseball.
On the last day of class
the impossible happened -- the score was tied
the
bases were loaded and the batter hit a home run! The winning team stood and
cheered wildly. Though deeply appreciative
the professor was quoted later as
having wondered why only one-half of the students had been enthusiastic about his
lectures.
Louis De V. Day
Jr.
in
Pennomena
Reader's Digest
April 1981.
Aesop
the ancient
storyteller
told this fable: Once upon a time
a donkey found a lion's skin.
He tried it on
strutted around
and frightened many animals. Soon a fox came along
and the donkey tried to scare him
too. But the fox
hearing the donkey's
voice
said
"If you want to terrify me
you'll have to disguise your
bray." Aesop's moral: Clothes may disguise a fool
but his words will give
him away.
Traditional.
Can it be that the average
person spends one-fifth of his or her life talking? That's what the statistics
say. If all of our words were put into print
the result would be this: a
single day's words would fill a 50-page book
while in a year's time the
average person's words would fill 132 books of 200 pages each! Among all those
words there are bound to be some spoken in anger
carelessness
or haste.
Today in the Word
June 15
1992.
Pianist Artur Rubenstein
loquacious in eight languages
once told this story on himself: Some years ago
he was assailed by a stubborn case of hoarseness. The newspapers were full of
reports about smoking and cancer; so he decided to consult a throat specialist.
"I searched his face for a clue during the 30 minute examination
" Rubenstein
said
"but it was expressionless. He told me to come back the next day. I
went home full of fears
and I didn't sleep that night." The next day
there was another long examination and again an ominous silence. "Tell
me
" the pianist exclaimed. "I can stand the truth. I've lived a
full
rich life. What's wrong with me?" The physician said
"You talk
too much."
Bits & Pieces
January
1990
p. 15.
A turtle lays thousands of
eggs without anyone knowing
but when the hen lays an egg
the whole country is
informed.
Malayan proverb.
Preventive tactics -- or
things you should never say once without thinking twice:
- It's no trouble at all.
- I love dogs.
- We have plenty of room.
- Call me any time.
- Is there anything I can do?
- My husband is a doctor/lawyer/accountant.
- I'll try anything once.
- Of course
bring the kids.
- Why don't you stay for dinner?
- If worst comes to worst
you can use mine.
- Don't worry -- there's more where that came from.
- Over my dead body
you will!
Hester Mundis
Powermom
Congdon & Weed.
Some choice thoughts about
the Tongue:
About Abrasive Speech
Many a blunt word has a sharp edge.
Keep your words soft and sweet; you never know when you may have to eat them.
About Gossip
Gossip is like soap -- mostly lye!
A gossip is just a fool with a keen sense of rumor.
About Profanity
Profanity is a public announcement of stupidity.
Swearing is a lax man's way of trying to be emphatic.
About telling the Truth
A lie is a coward's way of getting out of trouble.
Truth is as clear as a bell
but it isn't always tolled.
About Boasting
When you sing your own praise
you always get the tune too high.
Don't brag; it isn't the whistle that pulls the train.
For in many things we
stumble. If any man offend not in word
the same is a perfect man
and able
also to bridle the whole body. James 3:2
Our Daily Bread.
If you don't say it --
they can't repeat it.
Wilbur C. Munnecke
quoted
by Ann Landers.
Lou Gehrig was once hired
by a breakfast-cereal company to promote a cereal named "Huskies
"
but when the radio interviewer asked Lou what he attributed his strength and
stamina to
he quickly answered
"Wheaties."
Unknown.
Here is some traditional
wisdom about speech and the tongue:
It would be better to
leave people wondering why you didn't talk than why you did.
First law of public speaking: Nice guys finish fast.
When all is said and done
there's a lot more said than done.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and
remove all doubt.
Traditional.
Blessed are they who have
nothing to say
and who cannot be persuaded to say it.
James Russell Lowell.
Look wise
say nothing
and grunt. Speech was given to conceal thought.
William Osler.
If you don't say anything
you won't be called on to repeat it.
Calvin Coolidge.
If you have an important
point to make
don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile-driver. Hit the
point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time -- a
tremendous whack!
Winston Churchill.
Sometimes the difference
between a good speaker and a poor speaker is a comfortable nap.
O.A. Battista.
I have never been hurt by
anything I didn't say.
Calvin Coolidge.
If someone paid you ten
cents for every kind word you said about people
and collected five cents for
every unkind word
would you be rich or poor?
Henry N. Ferguson.
Winston Churchill
exemplified integrity and respect in the face of opposition. During his last
year in office
he attended an official ceremony. Several rows behind him two
gentlemen began whispering. "That's Winston Churchill." "They
say he is getting senile." "They say he should step aside and leave
the running of the nation to more dynamic and capable men." When the
ceremony was over
Churchill turned to the men and said
"Gentlemen
they
also say he is deaf!"
Barbara Hatcher
Vital
Speeches
March 1
1987.
The difference between a
successful career and a mediocre one sometimes consists of leaving about four
or five things a day unsaid.
Bits & Pieces
January
1990
p. 15.
Some people can overwhelm
you with a dazzling vocabulary complete with the latest jargon and in-talk. The
glib speaker may not know what he's talking about...but it sounds so
"right"! Take heart
you
too
can get into the act with your own
instant overblown vocabulary.
An "Instant Buzzword
Generator" has been developed to give you an impressive lingo that's bound
to impress. Through use of this device
you simple select any word from each
column below and use them in consecutive sequence. Thus 1
4
1 would be
"total digital flexibility." Sounds impressive
doesn't it? Just
think how your conversation will suddenly confuse everyone! People will
conclude that because you're incomprehensible
you're profound. Clip the
"Instant Buzzword Generator" and keep it ready for use.
Instant Buzzword Generator
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
0. Integrated 0.
Management 0. Options
1. Total 1. Organizational
1. Flexibility
2. Systematized 2.
Monitored 2. Compatibility
3. Parallel 3. Reciprocal
3. Mobility
4. Functional 4. Digital
4. Programming
5. Responsive 5. Logic 5.
Concept
6. Optical 6. Transitional
6. Time phase
7. Synchronized 7.
Incremental 7. Projection
8. compatible 8. Third
generation 8. Hardware
9. Balanced 9. Policy 9.
Contingency
Unknown.
Casey Stengel was a
longtime major league baseball manager whose unique way with the English
language became known as "Stengelese." He once said
"I've
always heard that it couldn't be done
but sometimes it don't always
work." That's typical Stengelese.
Casey held a position on
the board of directors for a California bank. According to a story that
originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal
Casey described his duties this
way: "There ain't nuthin' to it. You go into the fancy meeting room and
you just sit there and never open your yap. As long as you don't say nuthin'
they don't know whether you're smart or dumb."
Daily Bread
June 5
1992.
The Karankawa Indians
who
used to inhabit the lower Gulf plains of Texas and Mexico
met their demise in
the middle of the Texas Revolution in 1836. It seems that Captain Philip
Dimmit
who owned a ranch north of present-day Corpus Christi
used to give the
Karankawas beef whenever they were in the area. At the outbreak of the
Revolution
however
Dimmit left his ranch to serve with the Texans. In Dimmit's
absence
the Indians rounded up a few cattle. As they ate the beef
a party of
Mexican soldiers rode up and demanded to know what they were doing. "We
are Captain Dimmit's friends
" the Karankawas replied. When the Mexicans
heard this they attacked
killing many and causing the rest to flee. The
remaining Karankawas later met a party of Texans. Fearing another assault
the
Indians began shouting
"Viva Mexico!" Immediately the Texans
attacked
and only a few of the hapless Karankawas escaped.
Today in the Word
August 30
1992.
Recently
I heard a
touching story which illustrates the power that words have to change a life --
a power that lies right in the hands of those reading this article.
Mary had grown up knowing
that she was different from the other kids
and she hated it. She was born with
a cleft palate and had to bear the jokes and stares of cruel children who
teased her non-stop about her misshaped lip
crooked nose
and garbled speech.
With all the teasing
Mary
grew up hating the fact that she was "different". She was convinced
that no one
outside her family
could ever love her ... until she entered Mrs.
Leonard's class. Mrs. Leonard had a warm smile
a round face
and shiny brown
hair. While everyone in her class liked her
Mary came to love Mrs. Leonard.
In the 1950's
it was
common for teachers to give their children an annual hearing test. However
in
Mary's case
in addition to her cleft palate
she was barely able to hear out
of one ear. Determined not to let the other children have another
"difference" to point out
she would cheat on the test each year. The
"whisper test" was given by having a child walk to the classroom
door
turn sideways
close one ear with a finger
and then repeat something
which the teacher whispered.
Mary turned her bad ear
towards her teacher and pretended to cover her good ear. She knew that teachers
would often say things like
"The sky is blue
" or "What color
are your shoes?" But not on that day. Surely
God put seven words in Mrs.
Leonard's mouth that changed Mary's life forever. When the "Whisper
test" came
Mary heard the words: "I wish you were my little
girl."
Dads
I wish there was
some way that I could communicate to you the incredible blessing which
affirming words impart to children. I wish
too
that you could sit in my
office
when I counsel
and hear the terrible damage that individuals received
from not hearing affirming words -- particularly affirming words from a father.
While words from a godly teacher can melt a heart
words from a father can
powerfully set the course of a life.
If affirming words were
something rarely spoken in your home growing up
let me give you some tips on
words and phrases that can brighten your own child's eyes and life. These words
are easy to say to any child who comes into your life.
I'm proud of you
Way to
go
Bingo ... you did it
Magnificent
I knew you could do it
What a good
helper
You're very special to me
I trust you
What a treasure
Hurray for
you
Beautiful work
You're a real trooper
Well done
That's so creative
You
make my day
You're a joy
Give me a big hug
You're such a good listener
You
figured it out
I love you
You're so responsible
You remembered
You're the
best
You sure tried hard
I've got to hand it to you
I couldn't be prouder of
you
You light up my day
I'm praying for you
You're wonderful
I'm behind
you
You're so kind to your (brother/sister)
You're God's special gift
I'm
here for you.
John Trent
Ph.D.
Vice
President of Today's Family
Men of Action
Winter 1993
p. 5.
Unfortunately
that is not
very often how it works. The accusatory rhetoric at the United Nations is not
all that different in tone from the way Christians argue with each other. Here
is an example from the seventeenth century
when the
Puritans and the Quakers
were engaged in angry debates: The great Puritan preacher Richard Baxter wrote
a pamphlet in which he lumped the Quakers with "drunkards
swearers
whoremongers
and sensual wretches" and other "miserable creatures."
And then -- just in case he had not yet insulted them enough -- he insisted
that Quakers are no better than "Papists."
The Quaker leader James
Naylor announced that he was compelled "by the Spirit of Jesus
Christ" to respond to these harsh accusations. He proceeded to
characterize his Puritan opponent as a "Serpent
" a "Liar
"
and "Child of the Devil
" a "Cursed Hypocrite
" and a
"Dumb Dog."
This is strong stuff. What
makes it especially sad is that the angry talk often makes it difficult to get
to the real issues. The debate between the Puritans and the Quakers was
actually a rather interesting and helpful one. Both parties engaged in some
serious biblical exposition; if the heavy rhetoric were removed
the discussion
could easily appear to have been a friendly argument between Christians who had
some important things to talk about. But I doubt that either group heard the
helpful things the other side was saying. Too much angry rhetoric was in the
air.
Richard J. Mouw
Uncommon
Decency
p. 52.
A wise old owl lived in an
oak
The more he heard
the less he spoke.
The less he spoke
the more he heard
Why can't we all be like the wise old bird?
Unknown.
Flattery
Flattery is like perfume: the idea is
to smell it
not to swallow it.
Communication
In 1963
Adlai E. Stevenson spoke to
the students at
Communication
There is a story about a man who
wanted to train his mule. The first thing he did was to pick up a big stick and
hit the mule a resounding wallop between the ears. As the mule staggered about
someone said to the owner
“What is the matter? Why did you do that?” And the
man said
“In order to teach a mule
you must first get his attention.”
That
may not be true of mules
but there is a good deal of truth in it when dealing
with humans. For any communication to be effective
interest must first be
awakened.
Clarity in Communication
If Jesus came to certain theological
schools today and asked the professors
“Wnd you
who do you think I am?” what
do you think they might reply?
Some
might answer
“You are the eschatological manifestation of the kerygma in which
we recognize the ultimate significance of our interpersonal relations.”
And
Jesus would probably say
“What?”
Clarity in Communication
”The difference between the right word
and the almost-right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning
bug.” –Mark Twain
Clarity in Communication
A stranger was walking down a
residential street and noticed a man struggling with a washing machine at the
doorway of his house. When the newcomer volunteered to help
the homeowner was
overjoyed
and the two men together began to work and struggle with the bulky appliance.
After several minutes of fruitless effort the two stopped and just stared at
each other in frustration. They looked as if they were on the verge of total
exhaustion.
Finally
when they had caught their breath
the first man said to the homeowner: “We’ll
never get this washing machine in there!” To which the homeowner replied: “In?
I’m trying to move it out of here!”
Lack of Communication
The story is told of two businessmen
an American and a Frenchman
who met on a transatlantic voyage. As the American
was seated for lunch with the Frenchman
the later raised his wine glass and
said
“Bon appetit.” To which the smiling American replied
“Johnson.” Since
neither spoke the other’s language
no other words were exchanged during the
meal. After the same thing happened at dinner
an observant waiter later
explained to the American that the Frenchman was saying
“Hope you enjoy your
meal.”
The
next day the American sought out the Frenchman to correct his error. After
finding him at lunch
at the first opportunity the American raised his glass
and said
“Bon appetit.”—to which the Frenchman replied
“Johnson.”
Lack of Communication
A department-store clerk was
demonstrating the efficiency of a window-cleaning device by smearing margarine
of glass and cleaning it off again. Quite impressed
one potential customer
asked
“How much margarine do I have to use?”
Example
of Lying
At a flower shop in rural West
Virginia
Campbell's Creek
an isolated mining hollow
the owner is a chap
named Bill Grayolis
41. A while back Mr. Grayolis lost weight and whispers
started around town that he had AIDS.
And then there was some graffiti and there were threats
he was labeled
a queer
a carrier of AIDS.
Customers that he had known for 20 years stopped coming to his store. One long time woman customer drove up
and stopped and threw her check inside the flower shop but then she returned
hastily to her car and
drove away.
Well
that did it. Mr.
Grayolis gave up the diet with which he'd purposely been losing weight. He got himself blood-tested for AIDS and
proved that he does not have the virus.
He posted the medical report on the window of his shop
but the whispers
persist. West Virginia Attorney
General says shame on the cruel people of
Gossip
Christians don’t gossip.
They just share prayer requests!
Gossip
The difference between news
and gossip lies in whether you raise your voice or lower it.
Gossip
The difference between a
gossip and a concerned friend is like the difference between a butcher and a
surgeon. Both cut the meat
but for different reasons.
Gossip
The television program “60
Minutes” once reported on a widely circulated sensational weekly paper and
interviewed people who were buying the paper at grocery store checkout
counters. “Do you believe what you read in this paper?” the reporter asked.
“No
” came the reply
“but we like to read it anyway.”
Gossip
holds a strange fascination for all of us.
Gossip
Some time ago
Dr. Albert
H. Cantril
a professor at
Gossip
John Dryden
a
seventeenth-century british dramatist and poet
once commented on man’s
propensity to gossip:
There
is a lust in man no charm can tame
Of
loudly publishing his neighbor’s shame.
Hence
on eagles’ wings immortal scandals fly
While
virtuous actions are but born and die.
Gossip
In King Henry IV
Shakespeare observed:
Rumor
is a pipe
Blown
by surmises
jealousies
conjectures
And
of so easy and so plain a stop
That
the blunt monster with uncounted heads
The
still-discordant wavering multitude
Can
play upon it.
And
how certain Christians can play that pipe!
Gossip
The story is told of a
young man during the Middle Ages who went to a monk
saying
“I’ve sinned by
telling slanderous statements about someone. What should I do now?” The monk
replied
“Put a feather on every doorstep in town.” The young man did it. He
then returned to the monk
wondering if there was anything else that he should
do. The monk said
“Go back and pick up all the feathers.” The young man
replied
“That’s impossible! By now the wind will have blown them all over
town!” Said the monk
“So has you slanderous word become impossible to
retrieve.”
Lie
A little lie is like a
little pregnancy-it doesn’t take long before everyone knows.—C.S. Lewis
Lie
A lie can travel half way
around the world while Truth is still lacing up her boots.—Mark Twain
Lying
A melon farmer’s crop of
melons was disappearing fast from his field. Thieves were continually stealing
the melons under the cover of night’s darkness. The farmer finally became
desperate and in an attempt to save his crop from the vandals he decided to put
up a sign.
The
sign had on it a skull and crossbones
and it read: “ONE OF THESE WELONS IS
POISONED”-only the farmer knew that it was not true.
Sure
enough
for two nights not a melon was missing. But
after the third night
the
farmer noticed that his sign had been altered. Someone had scratched out the
word “ONE” and replaced it with another word so that the sign now read: “TWO OF
THESE MELONS ARE POISONED.”
Thinking
to save his whole crop through deception
he lost it all
which just goes to
illustrate Sir Walter Scott’s observation:
Oh
what a tangled web we weave
When
first we practice to deceive!
Lying
He said likewise
That
a lie which is half a truth is ever the blackest of lies
That
a lie which is all a lie may be met and fought with outright
But a
lie which is part a truth is a harder matter to fight.—Alfred
Lord Tennyson
Lying
In Mark Twain’s fascinating
book about his travels in the West and Hawaii
Roughing It
there is an account
of a man
a notorious liar
who was known in the community to be a spinner of
tall tales. No one ever believed anything he said. One day they found him
hanging dead
with a suicide note pinned on him
written in his own hand
and
saying that he had taken his own life. But the coroner’s pronounced it murder.
They said that if the man himself said he had taken his own life
it was proof
he hadn’t!
Silence
One of the lessons of
history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing
to say.
Speaking
Blessed are they who have
nothing to say and cannot be persuaded to say it.—James Russell Lowell
Speaking
The six most important
words: “I admit I made a mistake.”
The five
most important words: “You did a good job.”
The
four most important words: “What is your opinion?”
The
three most important words: “If you please.”
The
two most important words: “Thank you.”
The
most important word: “We”.
The
least important word: “I”.
Tongue
This past year
if someone
had paid you ten dollars for every kind word you ever spoke about other people
and also collected five dollars for every unkind word
would you be rich or
poor?
Tongue
I said a very naughty word
only the other day.
It
was a truly naughty word I had not meant to say.
Bu
then
it was not really lost
when from my lips it flew;
My
little brother picked it up
and now he says it too.
Control
of Tongue
On a windswept hill in an
English country churchyard stands a drab
gray slate tombstone. The faint
etchings read:
“Beneath
this stone
a lump of clay
Lies
Arabella Young
Who
on the twenty-fourth of may
Began
to hold her tongue.”
Control
of Tongue
If your lips you would keep
from slips
Five
things observe with care:
To
whom you speak; of whom you speak;
And
how
and when
and where.—William Norris
Control
of Tongue
Some people are too
talkative. They are like the young man who supposedly went to the great Greek
philosopher Socrates to learn oratory. On being introduced
he talked so
incessantly that Socrates asked for double fees. “Why charge me double?” said
the young fellow. “Because
” said the orator
“I must teach you two sciences:
the one is how to hold your tongue
and the other is how to speak.”
Control
of Tongue
A talkative woman once
tried to justify the quickness of her own tongue by saying
“It passes; it is
done with quickly.” To which the famous evangelist Billy Sunday replied
“So
does a shotgun blast.”
And
such is the action of a quick tongue that it also leaves devastation in its
wake.
Control
of Tongue
A young lady once said to
John Wesley
“I think I know what my talent is.”
Wesley
said
“Tell me.”
She
replied
“I think it is to speak my mind.”
Wesley
said
“I do not think God would mind if you bury that talent.”
Control
of Tongue
The ancient philosopher
Zeno once said
“We have two ears and one mouth
therefore we should listen
twice as much as we speak.”
Vows
In the movie Mary
Poppins
the two children
Jane and Michael Banks
jumped into bed after
their incredible first day with the amazing Mary Poppins. Jane asked
“Mary
Poppins
you won’t ever leave us
will you?” Michael
full of excitement
looked at his new nanny and added
“Will you stay if we promise to be good?”
Mary looked at the two and as she tucked them in replied
“Look
that’s a
pie-crust promise. Easily made
easily broken!”
Words
Karl Marx supposedly said
“Give me twenty-six lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.”—meaning the
twenty-six letters of the alphabet on a printing press.
Words
Back in 1675
some nine
years after the terrible fire in London
Sir Christopher Wren himself laid the
first foundation stone in what was to be his greatest architectural enterprise-the
building of St. Paul’s Cathedral. It took him thirty-five long years to
complete this task
and when it was done he waited breathlessly for the
reaction of her majesty
Queen Anne. After being carefully shown through the
structure
she summed up her feelings for the architecture in three words: “It
is awful; it is amusing; it is artificial.”
Imagine
how you would feel if words like these were used to describe the work of your
life! However
Sir Christopher Wren’s biographer said that on hearing these words
he heaved a sigh of relief and bowed gratefully before his sovereign. How could
this be? The explanation is simple: In 1710
the word awful meant
“awe-inspiring
” the word amusing meant “amazing
” and the word artificial
meant “artistic.” What to our ears might sound like a devastating criticism
were in that time words of measured praise.
There is no doubt a lesson in that story for
those who would quibble over the relative merits of the various Bible versions
and translations. Shades of meaning cannot alter what God has revealed in his
Word!