He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy
conceals a matter.

Proverbs 11:13

Today we continue with this amazing treatise on Truth found in Proverbs chapter eleven. Our key verse is so very relevant to our modern day online/social media addictions that we all must admit to at some level. And, it brings into the light just how easy it is to become part of the social media mob and just as difficult to discern between fact and fiction: Truth and lies.

I am old! I admit that and embrace that. I am old enough to remember that being a talebearer is nothing new under the sun, as Solomon said. I am also old enough to remember that a large percentage of talebearing damage back in the ancient days was more of a local matter or even smaller, a school matter or even smaller, a family matter. It was also more difficult for a talebearer to actually spread their tales any farther than their personal circle of influence. Back then in Noah’s day (LOL) home phones didn’t even have speed dial!

It was also easier to verify the information a talebearer was spreading when I was in high school and college; fairly easy to find the original sources of the news if a person cared enough to find out the truth. I dabbled in journalism enough to be drilled on the mantra; “Find the original source!” Not so today as we’ve discussed previously. Just finding any source of a news story, let alone the original source is nearly impossible and what is more frightening the American populace seems to be okay with that and are more than happy to spread all kinds of news on social media feeds without a single thought to whether the story or news item is true or not or where or who is the original source. There is very little digging for Truth these days.

But, let’s move this talebearer scenario closer to home; I mean our home churches. We’ve lived in eight different states and visited many dozens of churches and called some of those “home”. If there is one common denominator in all these places of worship, it is that talebearers are alive and well within the church. You would be amazed how many ‘newsy’ tidbits have been shared in my presence as a newbie to a church, or even as a visitor, about someone in the church or the community that we didn’t even know yet. I don’t know if that fact of anonymity gave license to those who were the talebearers to share things they shouldn’t in my presence, but it sure didn’t stop them from sharing their slander; which is what a ‘tale’ is…it is slander. 

Hebrew word for talebearer is rakil [H7400] and it means: slander, slanderer, tale bearer, informer. Here is the thing about being an informer according to our key verse. 

As a talebearer…an informer…we will, either by choice or by a slip of the tongue, share a secret. This is not an “if” or “we might”, no…it will happen that when we participate in telling tales…telling slanderous information, we will reveal secrets. Once that happens, there is no going back! We can try to retract. We can rephrase. We can even beg that the slip of the secret not be retold. But the secret is no longer a secret and we have zero control of what happens next. Our control with a secret died, not when we actually shared the secret, but when we decided to participate in talebearing. And that enticement is so very easy on our social media feeds! 

Like so many other problems in our lives, intentionally or accidently sharing secrets is not the root of the issue. The crux of the matter is being a talebearer in the first place! 

But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.
My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

James 3:8-10

In a world where being a trustworthy person is not only difficult but not even encouraged in our modern culture, we, as Christ-bearers, must refrain from any form of being a talebearer…a slanderer…an informer! 

Christ-bearers cannot share the same information space as a tale-bearer! They are in direct opposition to each other. So, whether we are tempted to share a juicy tidbit as a prayer request in our Life Group or we aren’t quite that bold and do it with the supposed anonymity of the Internet; let’s remember Whose We Are! And Whose Name We Bear!