Pastor’s Point: The Lost Art of Editing

We’ve all heard the popular phrase, TMI, or Too Much Information, used in contemporary culture.  It usually refers to a person’s inability to limit (or edit) what they share with others to what is either appropriate or necessary to make a point.  In the realm of the written word, the editing process is huge and for several reasons.  Time and space are critical, and accuracy is everything, unless you have a rather large legal department and lots of money to spend on lawsuits.  When this process is neglected, you get results like these actual headlines, with commentary included (author unknown).

                                    Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says  [No, really?] 

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers  [Now that's taking things a bit far!]

Miners Refuse to Work after Death   [Those no-good-for-nothin' lazy so-and-sos!]

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant   [See if that works any better than a fair trial!]

War Dims Hope for Peace   [I can see where it might have that effect!]

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile  [You think?!]

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures  [Who would have thought!]

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges   [You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?!]

Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge   [He probably IS the battery charge!]

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft    [That’s what he gets for eating those beans!]

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks    [Taste like chicken!]

Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy   [That was really giving of himself!]

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors    [Boy, are they tall!]

And the winner is.... Typhoon Rips through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead    [I certainly hope so!]

In the case of these misleading headlines, a little proofreading would have gone a long way to limit the miscommunication. But what about such a thing as proofsharing? In the context of a community where we routinely share our needs and concerns, what are the ground rules for that?  As important as it is to communicate honestly and clearly how we can support and pray for each other, each of us needs to be careful to edit or limit things of a personal nature which we share with a mass audience.  The apostle Paul gives us some pretty clear guidelines in one simple verse of Ephesians 4:  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Sometimes what is helpful in building me up actually results in tearing others down.  Likewise, while I personally may benefit from getting something off my chest, it may not always be met with the same reaction from my listeners.  They could feel contaminated, so to speak, or torn between how to support me and yet think graciously of another person/situation.  

When we take time to edit what we say about a personal situation, we must consider what is helpful and edifying for all our listeners.  We carefully choose words which do not invite judgment or condemnation on another person, even if we feel they might be causing us harm or difficulty.  It could be an insensitive boss, a neglectful spouse, a wayward child, a boorish in-law.  Regardless, remember that they are not here to defend themselves and every disagreement has two sides.  Rather than use a large group setting to air details of hurt feelings or negative situations, find a more appropriate venue (close friend, small group, counselor or pastor) to go into specific details. 

In a previous church, we employed the ABC rule for prayer requests:  Audible (for all to hear, including the hard of hearing), Brief (remember, others also need/wish to share), and Christ-centered (in other words, edifying—what will build up the Body of Christ?).  Another helpful checklist might be TKN - Before you say it, Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?  As part of our life together in this worship community, let’s continue to foster an atmosphere of openness and honesty, but let each of us use our own editing process as we seek to share appropriately with one another.  If not, we just might be accused of TMI.

 tad