Blog: Max Dawson
April 27, 2017
I want you to take a brief trip with me to a place called “Gossip Town.” It is a place where we will find lots of talk filled with falsehood, bitterness, hatred, and envy.
Just about everybody has been to Gossip Town at least once in life. But some people live here because they enjoy the amusements of the place and the company they keep here. They often meet people much like themselves. But occasionally they become so astonished at what they see here, that they realize it is an evil place. They get out of Gossip Town, vowing to never return again.
Let me show you around Gossip Town. I hope you will find the place repulsive.
Flowing through the middle of the town is a wide river named Falsehood. The river is dirty, yet there is something about it that the residents find sweet to the taste. It is filled with lies, yet the people who live here drink from it freely. All kinds of lies are found in the river–white lies, black lies, social lies, half lies. False charges, cheating and deceit are just beneath the surface of the water. Those who drink from this river find it hard to ever tell the truth again.
Stretched across the river is a bridge named Bitterness. Why is it so named? Because so many bitter words have been spoken here; hurt feelings have been caused here. If you stand in the center of the bridge and look off in the distance you can see people crying bitter tears. You see anguished faces because of the stories and rumors that have been spread. You see a complete disregard for the feelings of others at this place.
Not far from the bridge is a train station. Only one train ever comes down those tracks. The powerful engine that drives the train is called Idleness. That train runs on a regular schedule. People who have nothing better to do than gossip catch that train every morning. They talk to the other passengers about things they don’t understand, pass along what they have heard from others, or speak evil words of suspicion about folks. Reputations have been ruined and many families have been hurt by riders on this train.
At one point, the train passes through a tunnel called Hate. The tunnel is long and dark, because hate abounds in this town and feeds on the lies that are told. As people pass through the tunnel, anger is found in their hearts; plotting and scheming, jealousy and envy are found at the core of their lives.
The town has only two main streets, with one intersecting the other at the center of town. It’s the corner of They Say Avenue and I’ve Heard Boulevard. At the intersection of these two streets is the city park named Don’t Tell Anybody. If we listen carefully as we pass by, we can hear the whispers in the park, “Shhh…don’t tell anyone I told you, but…” The whisperers tell their cute stories with a smirky little smile.
This is Gossip Town. What a place! It has a 100% crime rate. The words of the Bible are not allowed here, though many of its people claim to be very religious. The things that go on here often spread to surrounding communities and they are made like this dirty little place.
Remember, we are only here on a visit–just to see what it is like. It is not a nice place to visit. And we do not want to live here.
THE FINAL WORD
But just as we are about to leave, someone grabs us by the arm and invites us to stay. It is the town’s mayor. His name is Bigmouth Gossip. He says to us…
“They call me Gossip. I have respect for no one.
I maim and kill. I break hearts and ruin lives.
I am cunning and malicious and gather strength with age.
The more I am quoted, the more I am believed.
I flourish at every level in this community.
My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves against me because
I have no real name and you will never see my face.
To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become.
I am nobody’s friend. Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same.
I topple governments and wreck marriages and destroy churches.
I make innocent people cry in their pillows at night.
They call me Gossip. I have respect for no one.”
Dear friends, have we had enough? Let’s leave this awful place, never to return!
Today’s offering is from unknown sources. This has been on my computer for some time. Whoever wrote these two pieces may have been a victim. What do you think?
Blessings to you, my wise friends,
–Max