Once there was a person whom the entire village knew to be a gossip. That person could not wait to share the juiciest piece of gossip with whomever would listen. It did not matter if the stories they spread were true or not—this person never stopped to ask.
One day, after hearing the rabbi speak about the harm gossip causes, this person went to the rabbi and said, “Rabbi, I am truly sorry for all the pain I have caused by spreading stories around. I repent. I will gossip no more. Can I be forgiven?”
“Yes,” replied the rabbi, “but here is what you must do. Go home. Find a feather pillow. Open the pillow and release the feathers on the wind. Then, come back to me.”
The person thought this a strange request, but quickly went to do as they were told. When the person returned, the rabbi said, “Now, go gather all the feathers released from the pillow.”
“But that is impossible! The feathers have flown all over the place. I do not even know where most of them have traveled!”
“So it is with words,” said the rabbi. “You cannot know all the places your gossip and rumors have traveled. Once words have been uttered, they cannot be taken back.”
The person understood. From that day on, they took great care when speaking of others, and spoke with integrity.
Wondering Questions
- How does it feel when other people gossip about you or someone you care about?
- If you are tempted to gossip, what might you do instead?
Additional Activities
Download the Spring 2020 UUWorld Families Pages (pdf) for more activities.
Originally published in the "Families Weave a Tapestry of Faith" insert in the Spring 2020 Issue of The UUWorld.