Walking in the Valley A bi-weekly column, featuring one Christian's (a)musings on life's journey by Barbara Dahlgren

Rumor Has It Column for the weeks of October 1-15, 2006

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Rumors abound. You hear them on the job, at home, in political campaigns, newspaper articles, e-mail correspondences, at church, on T.V. and virtually everywhere. They always have been and always will be a part of every day life. Rumors feed our desire to know a little secret. “Don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see” is great advice, but how many of us actually heed it? Or are we all too willing to believe what we want to believe?

When it was reported that Mark Twain was dead, imagine his shock when he read his obituary in the newspapers. To which he made the famous reply, “The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” That’s one of the problems with rumors. They tend to get greatly exaggerated.

After the terrorists’ attacks on September 11, 2001, a rumor circulated that an unburned Bible was found in the charred wreckage of the Pentagon. USA Today even mentioned this in an article. However, it has become an urban legend because no one could verify the story. One person did see an unscathed dictionary, but that wasn’t quite as dramatic. But then, the press has never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Years ago we worked near a pastor who was having some difficulties. Our headquarters labored diligently to help this man come to terms with what he was struggling with. Finally the pastor asked for and was granted a leave of absence so he could spend some reflective time praying and studying without the added responsibility of taking care of his church. However, others who were not in our area heard rumors and interpreted them to mean that this man was treated unfairly and basically given the ax. Since we were in the adjacent area, we started receiving calls from all over the U.S. “What a raw deal!” they would say. “How could they treat him that way?”

These people did not know all the facts, but were perfectly willing to jump to the wrong conclusion. My husband and I learned a valuable lesson from this. Things were definitely not as others thought they were. Now when we hear about someone getting a raw deal, we know there may be many other sides to the story. And since we may never be privy to all those sides, it behooves us to be a little cautious before believing the worst.

Rumors about Jesus were rampant in his day. Jesus asked his disciples, “Whom do people say I am?” They answered with, “Some say you are John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.” (Mark 8:27, 28)

Another time Jesus was discussing what kind of death Peter would have. Peter asked Jesus about John’s death. Jesus said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You follow me.” Basically he was saying, “Don’t worry about it. You just follow me.” However, rumors spread that John would remain alive until Christ returned. (John 21:21-25)

We know what the Bible has to say about those who spread rumors. They are called “whisperers” (Romans 1:29-31), “busy bodies” (1 Timothy 5:13), “sowers of discord” (Proverbs 6:16-19), “tale bearers” (Proverbs 11:13) and the list goes on and on. Regardless of this, rumors will always be with us. Furthermore, we will always be tempted to listen to them. Why?

The answer is in Proverbs 18:8 (NLT): “What dainty morsels rumors are!” Not listening to rumors is like turning down a delicious dessert. It’s hard to do. No doubt, when we nibble on one morsel, it creates a taste for more. Perhaps, it’s better not to open the box of candy at all. For who can stop with just one bonbon? We are eager to partake of those sweet, delectable concoctions, just like we are eager to hear and many times believe the latest tidbit making the rounds.

Proverbs 26:20 says that without wood a fire goes out, and without rumors or gossip, a quarrel dies down. With that in mind, next time someone wants to tell us a juicy rumor, why not refuse that dainty morsel? Just say, “No thanks! I’m on a diet!” Rumor has it that we will all be a lot healthier if we do!

Have You Heard????  There is nothing as effective as a bunch of facts to spoil a good rumor. It’s easier to float a rumor than to sink one. A groundless rumor often covers a lot of ground. A rumor is like a check – never endorse it till you’re sure it’s genuine. There is nothing busier than an idle rumor. It’s hard to understand how a rumor without a leg to stand on, gets around so fast. A tongue four inches long can kill a man six feet tall. Unfortunately, an unfounded rumor isn’t one that’s lost.   From 14,000 Quips and Quotes by E.C. McKenzie

Be sure to visit this page often to read the next edition of Walking in the Valley. You can write to the author at bdahlgren@wcgsouthbay.org.