Thoughts for another day

Feb. 25, 2008

Today's verse: Lev. 19:16. Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

In the Book of Leviticus there are a few rules God seeks to induct into the Israelites, so they can walk the way He wants them to. Today’s verse talks of an important trait we need to avoid, that is spreading slander or rumor mongering. They say, ‘It is better to kill the man, than his character’. Rumor mongering kills the character of a person destroying his soul and I have seen for myself that most of the time, the rumor has no substance in it except hot air that people blow into it.

Many a person’s character is destroyed because of rumors and spread of slander. We love to talk ill against others little realising the harm we cause by it. Take for e.g. there is a lady in your building who you ‘think’ to be of loose character and then you find her one day returning late at night with a man. You were already spreading rumors about her, now, you have added fodder and spread the tale about her immorality. Gradually, people view her as the tale you created of her because of which nobody talks to her and look at her with disdain. She notices this and talks to nobody either also doing things which worsen the situation in a way daring anyone to do anything about it. And we all know the consequences, don’t we? The question is where did it begin?

In the latter part of the verse God also instructs against giving false witness. It is a gross sin to do that, no matter what your compulsion. Remember giving false witness is like killing the person, because, we stand in the corner of judgment and give truth to a falsehood. It can be very damaging and surely someday it will come to haunt us.

There is also a stern warning the Lord gives after the rule, in saying that He is the LORD, which means that anyone doing what He is against has to face Him, the Lord of the universe. That should be enough to discourage us from indulging in anything that the Lord has told us not to.