Getting Along in Life and Drama Class

Our lives are filled with lots of different people with lots of different personalities. Our drama class, like life, is full of the same. The difference is that many people in our class have big personalities. There are many great ideas and lots of creativity flowing through the class – that’s why we love to perform and act! With this much personality, however, there is bound to be some conflict.

Most of you, if you’re honest, don't get along with or even like everyone in the class. And that’s OK. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we’re going to always get along with everybody, nor does it say that we have to like everybody or be friends with everybody. The Bible is full of stories of conflict and disagreements. But the Bible is also full of stories of love and grace and forgiveness. It’s full of godly direction and wisdom on how to handle conflict and how to treat people.

There is a commandment that Jesus gives in the New Testament that is given multiple times, and it falls only second in line to loving God. And just like loving God, it isn't a suggestion or a recommendation. It is a commandment.

Love each other.

In John 15:12, Jesus says, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

In fact, it is such an important commandment, He says it again just a few verses later in verse 17:  “This is my command: Love each other.”

There are many other instances of this in the Bible including John 13:34, 1 Corinthians 13, which is a whole chapter about love being the greatest thing of all, and Mark 12 where Jesus says this to the teachers in the temple, “’The most important [commandment] is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.’”

The Bible commands that we are to love each other. Always. The Bible does NOT say it’s easy, the Bible does not say it will always happen without struggle or conflict.  The Bible says DO. IT. PERIOD. I will say this again – it’s not a suggestion.

The Bible also tells us in Philippians 2:3-4, it says, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

I mentioned the above verse to try to convey a very important message to all students in my drama classes - There is no one who is more important or more significant than anyone else. It doesn't matter if you've been acting for two months or ten years. Everyone is equal in our class. While some of the student's individual goals may include becoming a better actor and learning new skills, our NUMBER ONE goal in this class is to give glory to God. We can do this by acting in love toward each other, by being humble, by treating others how we would like to be treated, or, even better, treating others as being more significant than ourselves, by looking out for the interests of others, etc.

While students may not “click” with everyone else in this class and want to have one of those “hey, let’s hang out” kind of friendships, I do expect each student to treat others kindly with respect and love. I also expect you to handle conflict biblically. 

How do we handle conflict biblically?  Matthew 18 gives us a good guideline. While this is more directed to sin in the church, we have to remember that as Christians, we make up the church body. Let's take a look.

Matthew 18:15-17 says:

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.

In other words, if there is a problem or conflict with one of your classmates, you need to talk to them directly and with love and respect. If you can’t resolve your conflict that way, then you come to me, your parent, or another teacher or staff member at KEYS. Conflict with another student (or anyone, for that matter) should never be discussed with your friends or other students. Why? Because that causes more dissention, cliques, and even an atmosphere of bullying.  

Now, some of you may think, “Well, it’s just my personality and people don’t understand me.” By saying that, you’re underestimating the power of God and His ability to change your heart. Most negative behaviors are a heart issue, not a personality issue, and this is where you have to ask God to intervene and work on your heart.

If you say, “I just don’t care what people think of me.”  Well, you should. I don’t mean that in a, “Oh my gosh, do you think he liked my hair today?” kind of way. I mean it in a “we are ambassadors of Christ and should show Him to the world” kind of way.

This passage from Galations 5 shows us the fruits we should be striving to show as Christians:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

Here is my desire for our drama class - that we treat each other with love and respect, understanding we are all part of one body, one team, a unified group with a common goal.  Our class is not a place for selfishness, angry outbursts, gossip, mean spiritedness, envy, or anything of that sort. Let's be an example to all those who may be looking in as a group united in Christ, working for the Lord with all our hearts, putting away selfish ambition, and glorifying God in all we do. THAT is something of which we can all be proud, and something, I believe, that will allow us to better get along in class, and ultimately, in life.