Playing the game of telephone in life

For those of the same generation as me (and perhaps a little older as well), will remember the game of telephone that we would play as kids. For those who are unfamiliar with the timeless game, allow me to explain: Players must sit in a circle or stand in a straight line. They need to be close enough that whispering is possible but not so close that players can hear each other whisper. The first person in the circle or line whispers a word or phrase into the ear of the person sitting or standing to their right. Players whisper the phrase to their neighbors until it reaches the last player in line. The last player says the word or phrase out loud so everyone can hear how much it has changed from the first whisper at the beginning of the circle or line.

You can almost guarantee that every single time the last person who has to make the statement is not at all what the original player started off saying. Why does this happen? One of the purposes of the exercise is that it clearly shows how small misconceptions can end up making a huge difference. Many times the receiver, at any point in the line or circle, could have misheard. The person communicating the message may not have spoken clearly or they could have intentionally left out a part of the message or changed it altogether. The thing about this exercise is that there are so many life lessons that we can learn.

(I have been wanting to write on this topic FOR MONTHS now and as I was thinking on this topic earlier this week, it was before the coronavirus discussion had swept the nation. I determined to continue with the topic because I believe it is still important and relevant and as needed, we can draw parallels to the current situation facing our country and the world.)

How many times have we not liked someone based on the opinion of someone else? Rarely do we stop to ask for context as to why our friend does not like them. Often, we take their opinion as gospel. Could our friend be right? Sure, it’s possible. But is it also within the realm of possibility and probability that you are not hearing the full story? Is it possible that your friend is biased and leaving out the part they played in that story? When we re-tell a story that has affected us, we tell it as being the hero or even the victim. Maybe we are.
However, there are always two-sides to every story. If we're honest, we're usually not that innocent and the other party is usually not that vicious.

In the age of “keyboard warriors” in which we now live, truth does not seem to be what’s most important but being first to post and comment is. My definition of a keyboard warrior is someone with brave fingertips but a cowardly heart. Friends, just because it’s posted on social media does not make it true. It’s unfortunate that a lie can make it around the world before the truth even has time to lace up its shoes.  

You know how much trouble there is when you take to heart what you heard without checking it out? Beware of secondhand stories. Beware of what you believe that you have not seen for yourself. We so easily judge people for the choices they make when we don’t know the options they had to choose from. The stories we are hearing and maybe even believing could be stories of a person’s past and not necessarily who they are now.

Can we stop letting our opinions of others be determined through the filter of the opinions of others? Can we be mature adults and form our own opinions based on our own interactions with an individual?  

Social media has made it very easy for us to armchair quarterback every decision that is made. Whether you believe that the coronavirus issue is being blown out of proportion, believe that the threat is real, or perhaps you fall somewhere in the middle, I would encourage all of us to pray for those in authority as they make decisions that the overwhelming majority of us would never want to be in a position to have to make.

Let’s use wisdom, common sense, and compassion. Wash your hands, be aware of your surroundings, pray, and let’s get through this together!