[The tongue] is a restless evil,
full of deadly poison.
—James 3:8
Diotrephes was a dictatorial church leader who insisted on being top dog. The apostle John exposed three of his sins: he refused hospitality to missionaries, he drove those who opposed him out of the church, and he was a malicious gossiper (3 Jn 9–10).
Gossip is a fire that quickly burns out of control.
“This is confidential—don’t tell a soul,” she whispers.
She won’t, except her friends—and that only after they promise they won’t tell a soul.
They won’t—except their friends.
And there you go. Soon, everybody has heard it.
Once said, the damage is done. What has been said can’t be unsaid.
You can’t unring a bell.