“Gossip”

A woman was gossiping with her friend about a man whom they hardly knew – Some of you have or have not done this. That night, she had a dream: a great hand appeared over her and pointed down on her. She was immediately seized with an overwhelming sense of guilt. The next day she went to confess this with her pastor. She got the pastor, Pastor Thomas McNeal, and she told him the whole thing. 'Is gossiping a sin?' She asked her pastor. 'Was that God All Mighty's hand pointing down at me? Should I ask for your absolution? Then the woman says. ‘Pastor McNeal, have I done something wrong?' 'Yes,' Pastor McNeal answered her. 'Yes, you have. You have blamed false witness on your neighbor. You played fast and loose with his reputation, and you should be heartily ashamed.' So, the woman said she was sorry, and asked for forgiveness. 'Not so fast and not from me but God your father' says Pastor McNeal. Then Pastor McNeal told the woman. 'I want you to go home, take a pillow upon your roof, cut it open with scissors, and return here to me.' So, the woman went home: took a pillow off her bed, scissors from the drawer, got a ladder and climbed up to her roof, and cut open the pillow. Then she went back to her pastor as instructed. Pastor McNeal then said. 'Did you cut the pillow with scissors?' he says. The woman then says. 'Yes, Father.' Pastor McNeal then says. 'And what were the results?' 'Feathers,' she said. 'Feathers?' he repeated. 'Feathers; everywhere, Pastor.' Then Pastor McNeal then says to her. 'Now I want you to go back and gather up every last feather that flew out onto the wind,' The woman then says. 'Well,' 'it can't be done. I don't know where they went. The wind took them all over.' 'And that,' said Pastor Thomas McNeal, 'is “gossip.”