The Plumbline

Wise sayings often fall on barren ground, but a kind word is never thrown away. (Arthur Helps) Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating. The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips. Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart. (Proverbs 18:6-8) A fool's words often create the ripe environment for gossip and untruths. The fool focuses on the volume of his words, not the wisdom of them. He rushes toward the 'juicy tidbits' he can glean from anyone that he may use to make himself look important. Unfortunately, the fool doesn't 'fact check' his words before repeating them. He launches into the retelling and the 'reinventing' of those words all too quickly. I am a strong proponent of 'fact checking' whatever is being put forward as truth. This culture is too quick to spread malicious gossip, things that aren't entirely true, but that put someone in a bad light as much a...

I came across this quote today, and I wanted to share it with you. Let it sink in: "Fake news and rumors thrive online because few verify what's real and always bias towards content that reinforces their own biases." (Ryan Higa) As scripture points out, "Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart." (Proverbs 18:8) Have you ever noticed how we are drawn to rumors that 'fit our biases' in life? We listen with intensity to those words, even spreading them at times, all because we are drawn to their 'intent' or perhaps even their 'ambiguity'. But...are they real? Do we check them out? Or do we get 'drawn in' by the words? I did a little research online, asking why we humans circulate so many half-true, or utterly false statements. Here are just a few things I observed in my research: - Where a lack of clear information abounds, we make things up that 'fit' whatever it is we believe to be the truth. That may n...