Rumor has it

“Disaster comes upon disaster; rumor follows rumor; they shall keep seeking a vision from the prophet; instruction shall perish from the priest and counsel from the elders.” (Ezekiel 7:26)

During a recent Bible study, someone shared a rumor about me that was going around among church people in the community. As one can imagine, all sorts of feelings came forth: hurt, anger, sadness, desire for vindication and truth, as this sort of rumor could be damaging to one’s credibility. Ultimately, the more I sat and prayed with it, the deepest thing that emerged was concern for the effectiveness of our...