Gossips living in mid-14th century England enjoyed a much better reputation than gossips today. According to one or two current dictionaries, an archaic definition describes a gossip as a female who visited her pregnant friends when they gave birth. She saw herself as a companion, present when a birthing mother delivered her newborn (or newborns). Soon after mother and babe settled down to bond, gossips left their friend’s side and supplied the surrounding countryside with their exciting news. As expected, their thrilling bulletins elicited laughter and amusement most of the time, unless, of course, tragedy struck.
Gossips today continue supplying exhilarating news about people and events, often eliciting laughter and amusement, like gossips of the past. Yet, an obvious difference exists between gossips today and gossips living in 14th century England. What’s the difference? Today’s gossips inspire laughter and amusement at the expense of a person’s reputation. Yes, gossip will always tantalize. Yes, gossip will always draw an audience. Yes, gossip will always satisfy one’s urge to know. Yet, today’s gossips tantalize, draw an audience, and satisfy a person’s urge to know by delivering bad news, rumors, speculations, and downright lies instead of good news.
During biblical times gossips acted like gossips today. Paul writes, “... I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish ... there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.” (2 Corinthians 12:20, English Standard Version) In Timothy, chapter 5, verse 13, we hear, “Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.” (English Standard Version) When 14th century English gossips went from house to house in the old days, they shunned engaging in hurtful rumoring. Quite a difference.
Why all my interest in gossip?
Our New Testament Gospels, with their narratives about Jesus’ birth, deliver good news just like gossips once delivered good news in 14th century England. The news conveyed by “The Four Gossips” (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) is good news about Mary delivering a son, Jesus, and how their new relationship and bond grew. Jesus continued gossiping about “The Good News,” and, eventually many people who listened to him began their relationship with God anew as if being born again – people like Nicodemus (The Gospel of John, Chapter 3). They heard good gossip about being reborn as a child in God’s family. The Gospel writers endeavored to spread this good gossip throughout the Mediterranean countryside and throughout the world. And their gossip tantalized, drew audiences, and satisfied the urge to know for thousands, even millions of people. Their news warranted listening to and delighting in as people found great joy in their newborn life with God.
Even today, the Gospels declare our new birth and personhood into God’s family. Good gossip, indeed.
So, my interest in gossip arises from both personal and professional reasons. Understanding the Gospel writers as gossips delivering good news matters to me. And because almost everyone likes to hear a little gossip once in awhile, maybe someday even you might want to engage in a little gossip yourself to tantalize, draw an audience, and satisfy someone’s urge to know by calling to them saying, “Hey! Come over here quick. Guess what I just heard about Jesus ....” And then you can give them the good news.
Tom Towns is pastor of First United Methodist Church in Cortez.
