As Sergeant Schultz of Hogan’s Heroes might testify, sometimes the best thing we can see is nothing.

Genesis 9:18-29 tells a story about Noah and his sons Shem, Ham and Japheth. In it, Noah plants a vineyard, gets drunk, and passes out naked in his tent. Ham sees him first and runs to tell his brothers about it. Shem and Japheth, however, drape a garment across their shoulders, and walk in the tent backwards. Not only do they cover their father, they position themselves so that they don’t witness his exposure. Noah wakes up, finds out about Ham’s disrespect, and curses him and his descendants, while blessing Shem and Japheth, and praying that their descendants have abundant territory, and rule over Ham’s descendants.

It's a familiar passage of scripture that has spawned a thousand origin stories, at its most distorted supporting the idea of a cursed people.

Today, I want to look at it as a question of stewardship.

How do we handle sensitive information?

When we see someone exposed in body, soul, spirit, or circumstance, do we run and tell our friends? Do we sit there and enjoy it? Or do we look to cover and protect them?

Doing life with someone will reveal their weaknesses. We can tell no-one and use this information to protect them, tell them, and use this information to blackmail them, or tell everyone and use this information to destroy them.

Doing life with someone will occasionally permit us to witness their ugliest, most painful, shameful moments. Even despite our best efforts, we will accidentally see some things we shouldn’t. In the digital age, this doesn’t just apply to people we know. We have virtual access to celebrities at their worst. We can bear witness to breakdowns, and meltdowns We can consume it, broadcast it, or stay out of it.

We have video footage of spectacle that reflects badly on people of other cultures. Do we amplify it, or choose to believe the best? Do we say nothing when we have nothing nice to say? Or do we step up to pontificate with a little knowledge and lot of confidence?

If we see a bunch of negative stuff about people we know and like, we tend to push back based on our understanding of their character. If, conversely, we see negative stuff about people we don’t know or don’t like, we often flock to it as confirming all our suspicions.

So what do we do with the information we have? Do we voyeuristically revel in spectacle, enjoying our ability to catch people literally, figuratively, or symbolically with their pants down?

Most of us, if we think we might get caught, won’t look. If we know our words will get back to the people we’re discussing, we might not talk. But what about when we think we’re invisible and untouchable? And how much more invisible and untouchable can we be in the digital age?

One unfortunate view can change the way we see someone, but one unfortunate choice can change the way we relate to them. Forever.

Perhaps our best course of action is to guard our eyes, guard your hearts, and think before we speak.

We can’t always control what we witness, but we can control how we use the information we have.

Our lives may depend on it.

(Photo Credit: Angela Roma)