Gossip arises when something is wrong with us in the adoring core of our being. The Western Church has largely adopted our culture's vision of confidentiality. The Christian church has inadvertently taught most of its members to live on an island under the pretext of avoiding gossip and “preserving confidentiality”. Churches not only implicitly discourage people from being open to one another, but they also encourage people with whom they have shared their problem to maintain strict confidentiality.
Four employees from the city of Hooksett, New Hampshire, with 46 years of service between them, were fired, in part for gossiping and discussing rumors of an undue relationship between the city manager and another employee that Hooksett residents now agree were not true. The presence of gossip depends largely on how you talk about people who aren't present and why you talk about them. Instead, they describe gossip in action and relate it intimately to the character of the people who participate in this tempting sin. But Frank Clark correctly stated that gossip doesn't have to be false to be bad; there's a lot of truth that shouldn't be spread.
The Bible often uses the word gossip to describe a type of person rather than just a pattern of communication. If Paul were to write a letter to the modern church, he would surely include gossip on his list of rebukes. Sometimes, you might notice that you're gossiping when you suddenly lower your voice, look around to see who might be listening, and approach your friend before speaking. The administrator complained and, after an investigation, the city council dismissed the women, and discovered that gossip, whispers and a hostile environment are causing bad morale and interfering with the efficient performance of the city's businesses.
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