“I heard it through the grapevine”
You’ve had someone come to you before and say, “Somebody told me that you…(fill in with some bad sin). Is that true”?
Naturally you respond with vigorous defense, denial, and correction. Is there a better way? Yes.
An appeal to character is better than defense.
It is more effective to respond to the accusation with: “Does that reflect the character of the person you know me to be?”
Often people will ask a second question, “Then why would they say that”?
Again you could answer with a question, “Does that reflect the character of the person you know them to be?”
“Ohhh” is often the reply, followed by, “I should have known”.
Now let me leave you with the sister principle to this one: Gossips never ever tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And sometimes they invent whole lies. The only people believing them about you, are the ones who want to.
Okay, what am I missing? Why is this called a “sister” principle? Unfortunately I know a lot of “brothers” who gossip also. :0)