I Know Something

As seen in the HEARTbeat and the Village Voice

“I Know Something..”

            Remember this ditty: “ I know something I won’t tell, I won’t tell, I won’t tell.  I know something I won’t tell, nah, nah, nah-nah ”?  Some kid had a secret and he or she was rubbing it in your face!  They knew something you didn’t, and they were trying to make you look stupid or un-cool.  We’ve all experienced those types of kids growing up, but did they grow up to become adults of the same type?

            If you really think deeply about it, gossiping is just like the little kid who boasted about knowing a secret.  “Did you hear about the man down the street?” someone might say.  They have some information on someone and were desperate to tell someone else, all the while knowing the gossip may be harmful to that person or even may be untrue!

            Sadly, we know the misinformation game all too well.  We see it constantly in the news with politicians from one side of the aisle saying something they know to be untrue, but yet say it anyway to cause harm or to call someone’s character into question.  Sounds a whole lot like gossiping doesn’t it?

            Knowing secrets is just fine.  Telling secrets is another matter altogether.  Some of us have signed a document called a “Non-Disclosure Agreement.”  It’s a binding document where the signee promises to not disclose what they have learned about a specific subject, the people they have seen or met, or programs they have worked in.  Over my military career I have signed several NDA’s having worked in the Military Intelligence field for over twenty years.  Even so, I don’t think I have every said, “Nah, nah, nah-nah” to anyone!

            Jesus tried to disclose as much about the kingdom of Heaven as He possibly could.  As much as He tried, some of His disciples just didn’t get it.  He spoke of love, forgiveness, and of many mansions, “In my Father’s house.”  Jesus disclosed much to His disciples, but as much as He tried, there were those who refused to believe His words even after pointing them to the law and the prophets.  The Pharisees to corner Jesus, hoping He would contradict Himself, but it never happened, much to their frustration.

            However, on one occasion, Jesus did ask a few of His closest disciples to keep a secret.  Peter and the brothers, James and John, witnessed something spectacular on the mountaintop.  They not only saw Jesus transformed into His Heavenly, glorious appearance, they also saw two of the Hebrew Scripture’s patriarchs.  After Jesus returned to His earthly state, He instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”  Whether they fully understood what Jesus was saying, they had seen something no other human had ever seen before.  They had a glimpse of Jesus as He would appear in Heaven!  How in the world did they not tell anyone?

            We all as God’s children have a secret we MUST tell.  The secret is the grace and mercy God will freely give to those who accept His Son’s sacrifice.  This is not gossip, but the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Tell someone today about this wonderful news.