Several years ago, my wife and I traveled to Italy to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Among the many fond memories was our time in Venice. One evening in the floating city, we took to the streets after most of the other tourists had left. Most of the “streets” are more like outdoor hallways, and in no time, we were lost. (It was not the scary kind of lost, just the “I have no idea” kind).
Our aimless adventure led us down a narrow “corridor” where I could see a bit of light in the distance, coming from a gap in the wall on one side. As we approached, we discovered it was a small, family-run restaurant with a window where they dispensed individual slices of homemade pizza. I couldn’t believe it. It was like I had stumbled across a Venetian pizza speakeasy. At that moment, it didn’t matter how good the slice was because of the joy of discovering a “secret” passage. In an instant, I felt like I was somehow “in the know.”
The context of the situation shaped my experience. That sentiment is reflected in Proverbs 18:8, which says, “The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.”
Notice how expressive the Bible is in its portrayal of gossip. It doesn’t couch it in generic terms like “saying things you shouldn’t.” It breaks it down into individual “words” that have an exquisite taste and are enthusiastically received by the hearer. Really juicy gossip is not to be stated matter-of-factly but whispered quietly. After all, a “delicious morsel” is intended to be savored, not just scarfed down. Perhaps this is why there’s an additional place in Proverbs where it’s referred to as “delicious morsels.”
For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart. (Prov. 26:20–23)
Gossip starts fires. Even when a fire has been reduced to embers, it can remain alive for a very long time by adding a little charcoal. After the scorching flames of strife have passed, conflict can be kept alive by tossing an occasional briquet of gossip into the smoldering ashes.
Fundamentally, gossip is an exercise in superiority. It’s shameful to think about the effort a busybody puts in to displaying one’s self-importance—choosing the recipient, the timing, the pace, the tone, the word selection, the body language. It’s an offspring of pride.
Conversely, God offers a reward to those who avoid the temptation of gossip. It’s a promise to be in His presence!
O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend. (Ps. 15:1–3)
Walking blamelessly, doing what is right, and speaking the truth in your heart go hand in hand with not slandering others, not harming your (home, work, and church) neighbors and not becoming a party to taking up another person’s offense. There is a correlation between loyalty to God and loyalty to others. “Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?” (Jas. 3:11).
Beware of delicious morsels found in exclusive hallways. Take proactive measures to guard your heart, mouth and ears from gossip. Avoid the temptation by steering clear of nosy people and quickly redirecting meddling conversations. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear (Eph. 4:29).
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! (Ps. 141:3)