Gossip is big business
Gossip of this kind is synonymous with slander. In other cases, such as the story of Doeg, gossip is passing on information to people who have no need to know it. In other cases, gossip is betraying the confidence of another, as Proverbs 11:13 says: “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret” (NIV). The dictionary definition of gossip only takes us so far in our quest to uncover its dominion over us. The definition—“Idle talk, not always true, about other people and their affairs”—only raises adolescent questions of “How far is too far?” William Penn’s aphorism continues to be one of the best by which to judge whether communication is gossip or not: “Never report what may hurt another unless it be a greater hurt to conceal it.” Just let that sit for a moment. Why is the sin of gossip so attractive to us? In the cases I’ve mentioned, someone had a desire for attention and power. “Knowledge is power if you know about the right person,” E. W. Mumford said.