Dear Faith Family,
We are a funny people. On the one hand, we are obsessed with making life easier. From the technology we buy to the fads we buy into, we are always on the lookout for means and methods of de-stressing the labors of living. On the other hand, we are addicted to drama. From Stranger Things to Survivor, from Serial to Spare, look at the bestsellers to the most watched and top listened. You'll find we consume an amalgamation of dramas, good and bad, compelling and corny, tragic and triumphant. We may want to avoid trouble in our lives, but we sure are gluttons for it in others!
While there is nothing wrong with tackling real troubles nor even the energy, emotion, and entertainment of a good story, our diet sheds light on why unease and restlessness are near-constant companions for most of us. As we discussed on Sunday, if we want to make peace in the troubles, we must step out of the drama (our own and others).
We're drawn to dramas because they are representations of real life, but only partially so. All dramas read, watched, listened to, or narrated in our souls are scripted to tell a story from a particular angle to draw others into the depiction's conflict, often with a sympathetic perspective to the author. And while that is all good and well for entertainment purposes, in real life, when we dramatize our troubles, we cultivate anxiousness in us and others.
Anxious, at least the term Jesus used for it in Matthew 6:25-34, describes unsettledness as "a part as opposed to the whole" or "going to pieces." The term describes both how we feel and why. So, whether in an interaction at the office, at a moment of opportunity, or in the middle of a conversation, when we experience the physical symptoms of anxiousness, an elevated heart rate, a racing mind, and a tightening stomach; we should ask not just what's wrong, but, what's missing? What's the story I'm telling or being told, and is there something missing, a perspective not seen or left out that's creating a drama and drawing me in?
Our Fifth Practice is meant to help us learn to identify and step out of the drama and, as Jesus encourages, clearly see and thoroughly grasp the whole story in which we are caught up. And while we may miss the drama, we'll find a deeper satisfaction.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
(Psalm 139:14)
Love you, faith family!