Cul-de-sacs of Gossip

In 1 Timothy 1:5-6 (MSG), Paul uses an interesting metaphor: "The whole point of what we're urging is simply love - love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God. Those who fail to keep to this point soon wander off into cul-de-sacs of gossip."

from treehugger.com

The apostle was urging that the people simply love...no self-interest, no fake faith. Christians must live lives open to God's will. Failing that, we end up wandering into "cul-de-sacs of gossip." Carolyne Call described a spiritual cul-de-sac this way (The Christian Century, July 10, 2013): "A place of stuckness, stunted growth and limited vision. We lose our forward momentum, and our focus strays from God." She continues to list other spiritual cul-de-sacs including bitterness, vengeance, despair, isolation, guilt, rebound relationships, perpetual anger, and the belief that one is unlovable. She concludes that each offers sweet yet unfulfilling fruit.

The English dictionary defines a cul-de-sac as a dead end street especially one ending in a circular turn around. We live in a subdivision which has numerous cul-de-sacs spread out among its several through streets. Interestingly for us grammarians, the alternate plural can be written as culs-de-sac. That is similar to mothers-in-law or attorneys-general. Apparently, depending on which source is accepted, the latter can actually be correctly unhyphenated or written as attorney generals. Yes, English language is amazingly inconsistent. That is rather like the lives of the people Paul is describing in the opening scripture from Timothy.

Be careful that your lack of faithful reflection and growing relationship with God doesn't cause you to leave the narrow path. You could wind up in the cul-de-sac of gossip.