Put on the brakes

Love does no harm to a neighbor. – Romans 13:10

A bumper sticker motto expresses the goal of a campaign to curb gossip: "Put the brakes on loshon hora." The movement began with Rabbi Chaim Feld in Cleveland, Ohio, who says the Bible forbids speaking words that hurt people in any way. Loshon hora is a Hebrew phrase for negative or cruel speech – an evil that causes untold damage.

Rabbi Feld says, "If you’ve never met Michael, and someone tells you he is a jerk, then Michael has been murdered for you, before you even meet him."

Someone has said, "When tempted to gossip, breathe through your nose." That’s a good way to keep our mouths shut, but we also need a solution that gets to the heart of the issue.

The antidote to the poison of gossip is love, which neutralizes the toxin in our hearts before it escapes through our lips. The Bible tells us, " ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" (ROMANS 13:9-10).

Whenever you’re tempted to pass along a negative word about someone, even if it’s true, let’s seek God’s help in putting the brakes on gossip. Instead of loshon hora, let’s speak a word of kindness and love. – David Mccasland

Lord, guard our tongues so what we say

Won’t hurt and carelessly offend;

Give us the gracious speech of love,

With words that soothe and heal and mend. – Sper

READ: ROMANS 13:8-14

To silence gossip, don’t repeat it.