Gossip or Feathers Thrown to the Wind

Spurgeon told the story of a woman who visited him wanting help to overcome her problem with gossip. Instead of a sermon he sent her away to perform a simple task and asked the woman to return when she was finished.

She went home to find a feather pillow. The woman then went outside, tore open the pillow, and emptied the feathers inside to the wind. When she was finished the woman returned as asked.

Spurgeon responded with another assignment asking her to go back outside and gather all the feathers. The woman assured the pastor that such a thing would be impossible. Spurgeon then explained that gossip is like those feathers, once released they can’t be reclaimed.

The other day resentful words came to my attention through a disgruntle woman who thought I needed to know what x thought about z. I longed to put my arms around her and make her understand the damage she was doing with her words. Instead all I could do was walk away from the situation with a heavy heart.

Gossip isn’t always as bold as what I encountered the other day. Sometimes it covers itself under the guise of a prayer request that blabbers on with details others don’t need to hear. Other times it’s not the speaking but the listening that gets us in trouble. Words once heard are hard to forget even if we don’t pass them on to anyone else.

I’m reminded of the wise advice in a song many of us sang as children in Sunday school.

Oh, be careful little tongue what you say.
Oh, be careful little tongue what you say.
For the Father up above is looking down in love.
Oh, be careful little tongue what you say.

Oh, be careful little ears what you hear.
Oh, be careful little ears what you hear.
For the Father up above is looking down in love.
Oh, be careful little ears what you hear.

“Heavenly Father, guard our use of words lest we toss them like feathers to the wind.”