Have you ever heard of the phrase Loose Lip Sink Ships? I heard it when I was a kid and somewhere in mind I knew it had to do with the Navy and spies. So, I Googled it and found out a few things.
The phrase “loose lips sink ships” originated during World War II as part of a propaganda campaign to warn people to avoid careless talk:
- OriginThe phrase was created by the War Advertising Council and used by the United States Office of War Information (OWI).
- PurposeThe phrase was used to advise citizens and servicemen to avoid sharing sensitive information that could be used by the enemy. The US was concerned that the Axis (Germany, Italy and Japan) could intercept critical information, such as troop movements and ship lanes, which could lead to mass casualties.
- PostersThe phrase was printed on posters that were displayed in public places, such as schools and churches. The most famous poster was designed by Seymour R. Goff for the Seagram Distillers Corporation. The poster featured a ship on fire sinking in the ocean, and the words “Loose Lips Might Sink Ships”.
- Other countriesSimilar campaigns were created in Great Britain, Canada, and other Allied countries. The Canadian version of the poster was more direct, dropping the word “might” and saying “Loose lips sink ships”.
- Modern use: In 2018, the Navy updated the poster for modern times, changing the words to “Loose Tweets Sink Fleets”. The imagery remained the same, showing a ship on fire sinking in the ocean. ( I think they should have stuck with the alliteration, maybe Thoughtless Tweets Sink Fleets)
So, what does this mean? It means I had some loose lips, things were revealed and friendships may have ended.
I have recently discovered that some people secretly loath me. They are from different spheres of my life and who considered me their friends before this post.
How did I find this out? With an off handed, poorly worded and ill timed post on my Facebook page (this is where the trouble starts). I had been seeing a lot of posts where people were saying, “If you don’t be believe this, this and this, unfollow and unfriend me.” and I reacted to it (bad idea).
I broke my own rule about commenting, so, the backlash is justified (?) Even if it was, that doesn’t make the comments I read any easier to digest. They were nasty and questioned my commitment to God and loving others.
For further context, if you follow me on social, I never post anything political. You would have no idea how I would vote in any given voting year. I will tell you that I do not always follow party lines.
Here’s my advice to all Pastors on social
Be careful with your words. Think before your post, “who does this serve?”
Hurt is baked into the Christian experience, and life as a human, and not everyone you feel betrayed by is (a) Judas. Be patient and pray.
If you can, choose to get off social media for a while. I have deactivated my FB account because it no longer brings me joy and I do not want my witness for Christ damaged due to my knee jerk reactions/responses to others.
I can be surgical with my words. My tongue is set to kill not stun. I don’t want to respond to anyone out of hurt and so ruin my witness for Christ. I’d rather be off all social media than to cause a little one to fall be they believer or sinner.
Remove people from your life, on social media or otherwise. As painful as it might be, if those people are causing you stress and anxiety, their access to you must be limited. It’s just not worth it.
I’m no martyr and require no sympathy. This was a situation of my own making, a discipleship moment that I have to trust God with.
My hope is that my mistake encourages you to know that we all make mistakes but they are not the end of us but rather the beginning of wisdom.
Have a great week every one.