Tip of My Iceberg

We have a strong, dramatic streak that runs through our family. Not everyone is in theater, but many of us know how to “bring it” when we want to get a response from others or just feel like being momentary drama kings or queens.

I’ll own that streak. Mom used to call me Sarah Bernhardt; I had no idea who she was. I discovered she was a French stage and early film actress with a flair for the overdramatic. My emotional outbursts and rather strong opinions must have reflected such a comparison.

I never saw it.

Right now, three of the grands from one family are all participating in theater, singing, dancing, and acting with style and finesse. Isley, the oldest of the three, has been involved with theater for eight years. She amazes me at how quickly she picks up dance moves and learns her lines. Her two little brothers are almost as good. What’s wonderful in watching them is how they move into their character easily, like slipping on a glove made especially for them.

Having been seen as somewhat dramatic growing up, I used to wonder what it would have been like to be in theater, to actually give acting a shot. Sometimes, I think it would be easier than making life choices–playing a role would give me the freedom to think, be, and act like someone else. The benefits of making a decision within the context of a play is the script is already written, the relationships are prearranged, and the dialogue has been carefully planned out to account for drama, humor, and insight.

I don’t talk like that, with scripted words or thought-out phrases. I often begin talking before I’ve actually thought about what I need to say. Suffice it to say I’ve stuck my foot in my mouth more times than I care to think about.

Not a fan of the taste of toe jam.

Acting is a form of hypocrisy, a word I’ve heard used a lot lately, especially in conjunction with political figures. The word comes from the Greek word hypokritikos, which means “acting a part,” and it’s not acting to entertain but to confuse. It’s someone who wears a mask (real or imagined) and pretends he is something he’s not.

Jesus referred to the religious leaders of His day as hypocrites. The Pharisees and scribes put their own spin on the law, adding so many other rules and traditions to what the Jews were supposed to follow that it became impossible to follow them all. They polluted the truth with their own take on it so they would look good.

“”What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs–beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:27-28.

Like actors on a stage, these religious leaders sought to look holy before the people with the emphasis on what they did, rather than who they were.

I don’t want to be that kind of person, where who I am is hidden by an exterior of exaggerations and untruths. I want to live authentically, and I want people to know me for who I am in the Lord.

Nobody wants to live onstage all the time.