+Z’ev

Today’s assigned readings:
1 Kings 19:9-18, Ephesians 4:17-32, John 6:15-27

Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:29-32

My comments on the passage from 1 Kings are here. God is the “sound of silence”. And in the passage from Ephesians, Paul tells us to imitate God… speaking only grace and peace. And to avoid letting “evil talk come out of” our mouths.

In Hebrew and Yiddish there is a phrase, לשון הרע Lashon Hara, the “Evil Tongue”. Paul’s talking about that here. The Wiki says that Lashon Hara “is the Jewish sin of gossip. Lashon Hara generally refers to true statements, written or spoken; untrue gossip is even more strictly prohibited. Thus, while truth is generally a defense against slander or libel, it is not a defense against lashon hara.” And according to Jewish teaching you can violate 31 commandments just by speaking evil of your neighbour and there are whole categories of ways to avoid it. As Paul notes, “what is useful for building up” is permitted, even in Judaism.

So…

When I was 14 or so, my Mom got involved in local politics through her boss. Gary was running for Mayor on the democratic ticket in our village of 900. His brother, Denis, was supervisor of the township. So, my brother and I, deciding to “do our part”, took a bucket of bleach and other cleansers (it was probably totally toxic) and a mop. We went around town and bleached out the faces on the Republican posters. It didn’t matter: no one but their families bothered to vote for them. No Republican ever won an office in that district from 1978 (or so) when I started paying attention until well into the 1990s when my parents moved away. In fact, the only Republican I know in that area who ever got elected, did so by becoming an independent.

We bleached the posters out on the very trees where they hung. Bright green Democratic posters hung next to odd grey splotches. For some reason, that year, the Republican posters were all black and white head shots with “vote for…” in white letters. It was easy to ruin these posters.

A 14 year old version of Lashon hara in action, right there, and learned at the knee of my own parents and their political fellow travellers. And we see this play out, in more adult versions, in every political race that happens, on an increasing scale: the higher the political office, the bigger the bucket of bleach.

A few months ago here in the US, we launched into a presidential race and it will hit a fevered pitch today with the Iowa Caucuses and, shortly after, a series of primaries. We’ve heard enough already - of candidates insulting each other over “hot button issues”. One candidate has already implied things about the religions of the others. One has implied that non-religious people are not really Americans. One has said certain things about the votes of the others on certain issues. Another has said exactly the opposite.

How angry do “Their” positions make “us” feel? How strongly do “we” feel in opposition to “them”? One need only look at websites around the net to see Lashon Hara in action. One candidate’s supporters will be poking holes in the other’s and vice versa. My personal blog is already filled with posts either bitching about “them” or, at least, making fun of “them”.

Imagine what it would be like to only imagine the best of your political opponent? This is not to say “tell your supporters to vote for the other guy…” but rather, imagine how it would be to say only the good things about “them” - or nothing at all - and only the truth about “us”. Imagine if you hear something bad about “them” (even if it’s the truth) that you exercise all your spiritual energy not to repeat it?

To be honest, it’s more fun to go out with the bucket of bleach.

Much love,

Huw