“We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a
disorderly way,
by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.
Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly
and to eat their own food.”
We want to be in the know. It makes us feel connected, important, and able to make a difference. Sometimes, we believe we have a right to know. We may feel that our own interest in a situation or circumstance gives us the right to have the private information of others for our own. We have experienced the betrayal of trust that makes us unwilling to accept the words of those in authority as the final word and demand proof of right decisions or actions. Transparency is important to building trust and establishing a joint vision and mission. Secrecy, being kept in the dark, or evasiveness raise serious doubts in our minds and decrease our willingness to engage.
The key issue for determining the difference between keeping busy and minding the business of others, however, rests on who is at the center. If our focus is on ourselves, how we benefit or what we require for our own satisfaction, we have moved into the area of busybodies. Of course, we can be further down the spectrum and be nosy, gossipy, or take secret pleasure in the misfortune of others, but the middle of the spectrum really revolves around love. Do we need to know the information to better love and serve the other, or is it somehow for ourselves. The determination of what information we need is essentially connected to what is best for the accomplishment of God’s purpose and mission for our community, families, or the other person. It is not primarily tied to our desire to know for any reason.
Even when information is presented to us, there are times when it is appropriate for us to interrupt the flow of communication to avoid our own temptation to know too much. When presented with an over abundance of details, gossip, or salacious information, a friend of mine used to reply by quoting Psalm 139:6, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.” Perhaps a bit disingenuous, at least it disrupted an unnecessary transfer of details. When communicated by the person themselves, however, sharing details can be a sign of intimacy, trust, and love. We then become the bearers of pain, challenge, grief, or weakness. We help to shoulder the load, but that brings with it a great responsibility to protect and honor the information. We betray that relationship when we share information without permission and devalue human dignity when we fail to honor the trust of the other.
In the face of these issues, it is important to remain humble. We are not God, who knows all things and is the judge of all people. We are not the measure of all things or the universal judge, thank goodness. We need to recognize our limitations, set boundaries around our desires, and seek self emptying and sacrificial love. Being out of the know can feel like a place of exclusion or powerlessness, but is is the place to pick up our cross, serve without justification, and pray. We place our trust more fully in God as we die to self. Thomas Hobbes, perhaps influenced by Sir Roger Bacon, first wrote, “Knowledge is power.” The knowledge we have is powerful and should be used for good, but as disciples of Jesus, we can also embrace powerlessness. Becoming like little children, we can trust more fully in the one who is truly all powerful. We do not need to know everything about others; what we do know, we do not need to share; and what is shared with us, we need to honor and protect. We can be busy about the kingdom without being busybodies. We can work quietly and eat our own food. Love is our motivation and God our sustenance.