Guarding one's senses, thoughts, words, and deeds

[Maria]

Guarding one's senses, thoughts, words, and deeds

Gossip

It is sad to see so many threads that embrace gossip and frank discussions that would make many devout grandmothers blush. Perhaps, this is just a symptom of this post-modern, post-Christian age. TV news and entertainment shows seem to thrive on current events and gossip.

In almost all professions, people must keep up with current events. It is a fact of life. For example, students in high school and college often write essays on current news topics such as abortion, homosexual marriage, and pedophilia. Here at E. Cafe and at our sister forum, O.C.Net, there are a lot of threads started by youth and/or inquirers who ask questions about particular news events, particularly the threat of martyrdom by Islamists or a tornado that could destroy everything a person ever owned. These inquirers want to know how a Christian would respond.

However, gossip goes beyond current events as it discusses the private lives of individuals. Healthy boundaries are now out the window as viewers are invited into the bedrooms of many people on talk shows such as ABC's The Doctors, Rachel Re, and Katie. TV Dramas like NCIS share personal vignettes where nothing is private. A look at the latest movies showing at theaters is downright discouraging with increasing nudity, foul language, and explicit sex.

How can Christians grow in the spiritual life if they have a continual diet of these TV dramas, radio talk shows, and movies?

How can a Christian curb the urge to participate to gossip when his co-workers are sharing something juicy?

It has been suggested that four things are essential to the spiritual life:

• 1. Prayer and fasting
  2. Guarding the senses (auditory, vision, touch, taste, and smell)
  3. Reading the Holy Scriptures, the Church Fathers, and the lives of the saints
  4. Frequenting the Holy Mysteries

Any other suggestions?

During this time of the Apostle's Fast, please share any insights gained from your spiritual readings that could benefit us.

[Dcn.Ephrem]

Wonderful post, dear-in-Christ Maria.

Here is something from the Abbess Thaisia, a wonderful holy woman who is almost our contemporary. Anyone, especially any woman, who desires to save her soul in our time would do well to find and purchase her autobiography and her book of instructions for nuns. This article on gossip is from the latter:

http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/idletalk.aspx

[Maria]

Wonderful post, dear-in-Christ Maria.

Here is something from the Abbess Thaisia, a wonderful holy woman who is almost our contemporary. Anyone, especially any woman, who desires to save her soul in our time would do well to find and purchase her autobiography and her book of instructions for nuns. This article on gossip is from the latter:

http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/idletalk.aspx

The second paragraph from the above link is beneficial for both men and women:

• Deeply rooted in people is the love of idle talk, i.e., empty, unnecessary conversations, and it has become a beloved pastime among them. It seems we don't know and don't believe that idle talk is a sin, and a serious sin, which gives birth to a multitude of other sins: quarrels, conflicts, gossip, slander, condemnation, calumny, and the like. Indeed, all the various confusions which fill human life to overflowing, all the disturbances of the inner quiet of the soul, have as their source this same idle talk, which has crept into all of everyday life, as though it were its indispensable property and requirement. If any sin or any passion knows how to clothe itself in an attractive form, it is precisely—idle talk.

During Great Lent, the Holy Church sings Psalm 140:

• Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee,
  the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.

  Set, O Lord, a watch before my mouth,
  and a door of enclosure round about my lips.
  
  Incline not my heart unto words of evil,
  to make excuse with excuses in sins

  With men that work iniquity;
  and I will not join with their chosen.

  HTM, p. 226, copyright 2008.

As a side note, during my linguistic studies in discourse analysis, there were several studies which examined young school boys. The most popular boys were the ones who were able to tell the best stories. My dear old dad loved to tell jokes and stories, but as he approached death, his conversation changed to one of unceasing prayers and songs to God. The nurse attending him caught his last words: a prayer of unity with the Triune God. He was totally enveloped by the love of God, and already in the hands of God as he breathed his last.

[joasia]

Great posts Maria! Let's remember that idle talk, in our generation, extends to idle writing (like posts). We are not verbally expressing our thoughts, but they are being expressed in writing.

I remember reading "Unbelievable For Many But Actually a True Occurence". In it, the man (a Communist) had died and was experiencing the existence out of body. When he was hovering around, the nurse that came in, saw that he was dead, and right away turned to the icon and crossed herself and said: "May he inherit the kingdom of heaven, eternal peace to him." . At that moment two angels appeared. Also, he remembered his idle words, many years ago, of disbelief in God and he felt the weight of it, at this moment.

This is an amazing experience.

http://orthodoxinfo.com/death/unbelievable.aspx

This is also why repentance is so important which leads to confession. We must do a regular cleaning of our souls.