"Words Hurt" + AUDIO

There is an old saying that goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” That is an untrue statement. Words do hurt. People have lost their jobs, their reputation, even their lives because of things that were said about them.

Gossiping has been around forever. All of us, including myself, have been guilty of it at one time or another. We love to hear stories about someone that has fallen or messed up, especially if we don’t like them. If the story is juicy enough, we can’t wait to pass it on via telephone, email, text or some other form of communication. Sometimes we don’t even bother to verify the rumors before passing them on.

A man went to his pastor one day with a question. He said, “Pastor, I understand almost everything that is in the Bible. I understand the commandment not to kill. I understand the commandment not to steal. What I don’t understand is the command against slandering my neighbor. After all, they are just words.”

The pastor said, “I will answer your question. But first I have a task for you. I want you to get a bag of feathers and place one feather in front of every house in your neighborhood. When you have finished, come back and I will give you the answer.”
The man did as he was told. When he had finished, he went back to the church. He said, “Pastor, I have done what you have asked. Now tell me why does God hate slander so much?”
The pastor said, “I want you to do one more thing. Go back and get every feather that you placed in front of each house. Bring them to me and I will answer your question.” The man said, “That’s impossible. The wind has blown them all over town.” The pastor smiled and said, “The same thing happens with the lies that we tell about our neighbors. They can never be retrieved. They are like feathers in the wind.”

Before you say something to, or about, someone, ask yourself how will it affect his or her life? Remember, words hurt.

AUDIO: "Words Hurt"