Thought of the Day: Our Neighbor's Reputation

Every year, many people give up gossiping for Lent--or at least they try. Gossiping and backbiting (detraction, or the revealing of another person's secret faults) is one of the most common of sins. It is also one of the most deadly, because it destroys the natural bonds that we should have to our fellow man.

There's an excellent pamphlet called The Backbiting Tongue, written in the late 19th century by a Father Bélet of the Diocese of Basle, Switzerland. In it, he makes a point that few of us ever think about. Did you know that it is possible to do wrong by saying something that is true?

Now you might object, "Do you mean to say I can't tell the truth?" No, my friend. It is not permitted, unless you can do so without harming your neighbor. What you say is true, I admit, but it is hidden. The sinner has wounded his conscience in God's sight, but he has not lost his reputation before men; therefore, you may not weaken or destroy it with your tongue. And even if the sin you reveal is not altogether secret but known only to a few, as long as it is not public knowledge, you are backbiting if you reveal it to someone who is unaware of it. And thus you are harming your neighbor.

In these last two weeks before Easter 2011, we would do well to keep these words in mind. The devil is never more active than when Christians are making progress in their spiritual lives. If this Lent has gone well for you so far, it is important to guard against backsliding--and there are few easier ways to fall than to engage in gossiping and backbiting.

More Lenten Thoughts of the Day:

• Thought of the Day: The Solitary Life
• Thought of the Day: Fasting and Perseverance
• Thought of the Day: Detachment

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