BROKEN SLEEP

I woke up suddenly at about 2.30am. There was a most awful noise coming from outside the bedroom window. I climbed out of bed and looked out. Minnie, our cat, was sitting on the bay window expressing her views about next door’s cat. The volume of her expression meant that she thought the whole of Shire ought to know her feelings. As neighbours’ lights were beginning to come on, I hurried downstairs to call her in.

Minnie’s behaviour reminded me that sometimes I am tempted to tell people what someone has done against me or my loved ones. The most common form of revenge is telling others what the offender did. Yet Jesus has given us the correct way of addressing offences which we do not yet feel able to overlook and forgive. We find it in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 18, verses 15-17.

However it is not only the one passing on the offence who is to blame, but the one who eagerly listens. Why are some newspapers full of gossip? Because people will read this.

There is another reason why we should be careful what we listen to (or read): The first one to speak seems right, Until we hear the other side of the story. (This comes from Proverbs chapter 18, verse 17).

A man who had slandered another started to feel regret when his victim lay dying. He wanted to put things right so he came and apologised. The man rose slightly in his bed and asked his visitor to rip open the pillow and scatter the feathers outside of the window. The visitor complied. The man in bed then asked him: ‘please go and get all those feathers back!’ Naturally the visitor pointed out that this was impossible. The man in bed replied: ‘Nor can you undo the damage that you have done to my reputation!’

Minnie’s audience had no choice but to hear her views on next door’s cat. However it is not compulsory to listen to gossip.