As the 2016 Thanksgiving weekend drew to a close, wildfires in the Gatlinburg area, driven by 90 mph winds, were heading their devastating path. Lives and homes were lost. At Rocky Top Sports in Gatlinburg, where I went as a pastor to bring my ears and my heart, people told me chilling stories.
Jumping to 2022, many others have had flashbacks of the devastation of 2016, when Wears Valley and another wildfire were fanned by high winds and first responders were at work. Every worthy house turned to ashes. Cars of all manufacturers are reduced to puddles. Thankfully, no lives were lost in this recent fire.
James 3 caught my attention when inspired by the Holy Spirit. He calls gossip wildfire. Now listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:29: Unauthorized communication comes from the Greek word PHAULOS for him. It’s a word that has both a clear picture and a smell—maggot-rotten meat. This all includes the gossip used directly by his PASITHURIMOS in Greek in II Corinthians 12:20. Literally means whisper. Middle school students and older, all ages. Have you ever heard someone whisper
Christ is glorified when we build up God’s children without humiliating or separating them. Sometimes there is a great temptation to give our egos a boost by telling the most interesting news first. question? Is it said out loud in front of the person in the room, or is it a ‘whisper’ so it’s not your life?
Real news can become gossip. Test: Was it lovingly said to be “useful”? Gossip can disguise prayer concerns. Gossip can be combined with little lies and embellishments. Words once spoken cannot be taken back. When it spreads, it’s like wildfire. Difficult to contain. Defamation. Useless dialogue filled space that could have been better used. Christ is not glorified and people are not rich. It takes a spark to destroy a reputation or talk about the love of God. I prefer the glowing fire of God’s love.
If you didn’t catch the last reference, it’s Kurt Kaiser’s 1990 hymn, “Pass it on.”
