Passing It On

by Shirley Peter
(Atkinson, Ne. USA)

This is a sore spot with me, as I have never found a good remedy for getting the point over to others that gossip is not only wrong, it is the sign of someone that has not been convicted by God's word.

Most people that I have known deny that it is actually gossip when brought to their attention.

I think that some people do it as a means of just sharing what they have heard, thinking it is interesting to the other person. Why do we like to read the newspaper or watch news on TV? Because we want to know what is going on.

Some people gossip because they think it makes them look better if they tell something bad about another person, but in my eyes they are not.

However, gossip can be harmful and also not always factual so we need to be very careful what we pass on to others, and point out to those who tell us "juicy" stories about others that we don't want to be gossiped about so we don't gossip. It probably won't work, as it doesn't when I have done that, but that is about all I can think to do.

God bless. Shirley.