Imagined Offenses – Building Drama

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the things that I see as a part of the creation of offenses is building up the drama.  We add imagined consequences and what could happen to justify an inappropriate reaction to things. 

Because someone might feel slighted, left out, or maligned in some way we censor what can be said or done.  We spend energy on the drama of imagined offenses instead of learning how to communicate in ways that promote understanding.

Another way we dramatize offenses is by dragging the histrionics of disconnected areas into the conversation.  We use the problems in our lives to justify controlling how others interact with us.  I once had a student tell me that I could not insist he learn binary because his uncle who was a math teacher had passed away.  As I pursued the conversation to understand the student revealed that his uncle had passed away four years earlier.  This student was going into networking.

As we draw lines of drama to connect our troubles and offenses we weaken the pool of compassion in others.  I will always have compassion for real offenses.  I have little use for the drama we imagine should validate our offended natures.  When we allow drama to anchor our offenses we tether ourselves to the past.  That is not how we are designed to live.

As a Christ follower I must not imagine offenses.  I must not use drama to gain attention, sympathy, or preference.  What I must do is show kindness and love to everyone.  When someone builds the drama I must not allow that to control the conversation. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."