Article June 16, 1951 Issue

THE TRUTH VERSUS GOSSIP

LESLIE C. BELL

Truth must be fully demonstrated. There can be no divided allegiance, for Truth and error cannot dwell together in consciousness. Jesus said (Matt, 6: 24): "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." We cannot declare that man is the reflection of God, hence perfect, and at the same time believe he is a human being, hence imperfect. We cannot declare the truth of man while at the same time believing in, and even voicing, the false concept of man.

Jesus, whose pure consciousness demonstrated Christ to humanity, ever saw the perfect spiritual man. He always knew and voiced the truth concerning man. This exalted and correct view of man. never tarnished by the suggestions of the carnal mind, enabled him at all times to heal the sick and restore the sinner. The lies and shallow gossip of mortal mind, declaring man to be unhealthy and a wrongdoer, were dissipated by the spiritual consciousness of man's true being. It would be unthinkable to consider Jesus as either listening to or repeating gossip, or as accepting any false beliefs regarding man. He separated the false from the true. He knew that a mortal is not the image and likeness of God. and his denial of the error and acceptance of the truth destroyed the false picture of man.

The story of Zacchaeus, as recorded in Luke, illustrates this. People must have gossiped about Zacchaeus because he belonged to the despised class of tax collectors, and perhaps they repeated stories about his meanness and the way he falsely extorted money. But Jesus did not listen to gossip or shun him as did self-righteous neighbors. He saw only the perfect man and knew that the true identity of Zacchaeus was to be found in his reflection of perfect Mind. So with unfailing kindness and love Jesus said to him, "Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house" (Luke 19:5). Humanly speaking, Jesus' steadfast perception of man as expressing the supreme good, because he is the idea of God, brought out the best in Zacchaeus and lifted him morally and spiritually. He thereupon revealed to Jesus that he gave half his goods to the poor, and that if he had taken anything from any man by false accusation he had restored it to him fourfold.

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