Many years ago I bought a CD with Creedence Clearwater Revival`s greatest hits. Back in the bronze age, when I was young, they were among my absolute favourites, and I guess I wanted that CD in pure nostalgia. Well, there among the other greatest hits it was, naturally. "I heard it through the grapevine".

And that set me off thinking. And remembering. There sure is a lot of things to be heard through the grapevine! And they are not all so pleasant...

I´ve been waiting for the day, when people would learn that a person should be considered innocent until proven guilty, for quite some time now, and I´m glad  I didn´t start out holding my breath!

At least we confessing Christians ought to realize that spreading rumours and gossip is too bad a game to be played by us! Even worse, it´s a sin!

It happens often, too often, that people are condemned on basis of suspicion and speculation.

They don´t even get a fair chance to defend themselves, they don´t even know what kind of evil fairytales there are told behind their backs!

I have even heard people defend their loose talking by saying "But it must be true, because this is what I´ve been told!" Such stupidity comes pretty close to be both unholy and ungodly, it´s no "sancta simplicitas", that´s for sure!

I know brothers in Christ who have received harsh letters and phonecalls, and even have had their ministries seriously damaged, not because of something they have done, but because people have been all too willing and ready to spread rumours and lies about them, and those who have listened have been all too ready and willing to believe it all!

And if there is anything that dies even harder than old habits, it´s false rumours! Once the word is out it can´t be contained and corralled anymore. Therefore it shouldn´t be let out in the first place!

Anyone, who joins in in this game, should be aware of the fact that he joins in on the Devil´s team.

He is the father of all lies!

Let me put it like this: Don´t believe in everything you hear! Believe only in what is proven to be true!

If all Christians would start playing by that rule, the Devil probably would have a nervous breakdown!

Like I said, I´m waiting for this to happen, but I`ll still not hold my breathe while I´m waiting. There seem to be too many folks around that find some kind of perverse pleasure in slandering...