Henry loved to be the first to know and share the latest news. He was well-meaning, always aiming to keep his friends informed and entertained with the juiciest stories he could find. However, his enthusiasm often led him to pass along information without verifying its accuracy or considering its source.

One Sunday, Henry came across a sensational article online. It claimed that the Kingdom Hall had failed to pay its property taxes for the past several years and now risked having its properties confiscated and auctioned off at a sheriff's sale. Excited by the shocking revelation, Henry immediately forwarded the story to his best friend, Tom, who then shared it with others. The news spread like wildfire, causing outrage and confusion among the congregation. The congregation was distressed at the thought of losing their beloved Hall, and some even began discussing emergency fundraising efforts to save the property.

However, within days, it was revealed that the story was completely false, fabricated by a disreputable website seeking attention. As a non-profit organization, the Witnesses were never responsible for paying property taxes. The article was merely a speculative piece that asked, "What if?" but was presented in a way that misled readers into believing it was a factual report. The congregation was relieved but also upset at the unnecessary panic caused by the misleading information. Henry felt a deep sense of guilt for not verifying the story before sharing it and realized the importance of checking facts before spreading news.

The congregation was relieved but also upset. Many had been quick to judge the handling of finances based on the false allegation, and the elders were deeply hurt by the sudden wave of distrust. Henry felt terrible, but he reassured himself that he would be more careful next time.

A few weeks later, Henry stumbled upon another tantalizing article. This time, it claimed that a popular location across town, where the congregation would station their Public Witnessing Carts, had been attacked by a group of teens who destroyed the cart and seriously hurt the publishers stationed there. Without a second thought, Henry shared the article with Tom. Once again, the news spread rapidly, leading to an investigation. The congregation, now fearful, began whispering about whether this was a new trend and if their safety was in jeopardy. Many became wary of going out to their local locations for witnessing.

As it turned out, the high-visibility spot mentioned in the article had indeed been vandalized, but not during any of the times when the congregation members were stationed there. The attack was linked to a completely unrelated incident that did not involve the witnessing work. Soon after, it was discovered that the article was entirely false, a malicious attempt by an organization intent on ruining the Witnesses' reputation.

Henry was mortified. He apologized profusely to the elders and vowed to never let it happen again. His friends, though forgiving, began to view his stories with a high degree of skepticism.

Despite his resolutions, Henry found it hard to resist sharing another explosive article. This time, it involved the closing of several congregations because of a lack of attendance. Excited to be the first to break the news, Henry sent it to Tom, who, although hesitant, shared it due to its shocking nature. The congregation was thrown into chaos as many started to wonder if their Kingdom Hall was closing. The elders faced intense scrutiny until the article was debunked as another piece of fake news.

By now, the friends had had enough. They were tired of the turmoil caused by Henry's unchecked stories. They started avoiding him, labeling him a troublemaker. Tom, feeling betrayed by his friend's reckless behavior, distanced himself as well. Henry, once a well-loved member of the congregation, found himself increasingly isolated.

One day, a true and serious issue arose at the Hall: a gas leak. Henry, who had arrived at the Hall early, was the first to smell it, and he rushed to warn everyone. Desperately, he tried to spread the word, but no one listened. They dismissed him, assuming it was just another one of his sensationalist tales.

Henry realized too late that his repeated sharing of unverified and scandalous stories had eroded his credibility. The congregation had lost their trust in him. Fortunately, the gas leak was discovered by the authorities in time, and the congregation was safely evacuated, but the lesson was clear: Henry's habit of spreading false stories had severe consequences. From that day on, Henry changed his ways. He learned to verify the sources of any information before sharing it. Though it took a long time and much effort, he slowly began to rebuild trust with a few members of the congregation. However, the majority still kept their distance, wary of getting entangled in another one of Henry's potential fabrications.

Henry lived with the knowledge that trust, once broken, is hard to mend, and that spreading unverified stories can lead to unintended and lasting harm. The apostle Paul gave clear instructions on what to do if we are exposed to false stories. He told Timothy to “command certain ones not to... pay attention to false stories” and to “reject irreverent false stories.” (1 Timothy 1:3, 4; 4:7) A mature person who understands the danger of spreading a false story can recognize its source and take immediate action not to disseminate it.

Thank you for reading,
-Soli Jehova Gloria (1 Corinthians 10:31)