TENSION

TENSION.

The word has bad connotations – a headache, an argument, personal stress, friction between people. But tension is a necessary element in our lives.

Consider the tension created when you first sat on Santa’s lap – he was so scary, big, and authoritative, but you knew you needed to climb up there and confess your childish lusts to him so you could get your order filled! If you had run from that tension – who knows what would have happened? Instead of a Sega Genesis, you might have gotten that lame Pong game your dad thought was so cool. Good thing you took the risk…

We need tension when we communicate. Our messages must create, relate, or respond to tension in order to be meaningful. In persuasive messages, we must create a sense of need before our offer of a solution will have value. If we give driving directions, the driver feels tension to arrive at their destination on time. When we respond to others with an empathetic shoulder or hug, we are ameliorating tension that already exists.

Consider the job of a rope. When it sits coiled on the deck of a cruise ship, it is worthless and just takes up space. But when the ship reaches its destination, the rope comes to the rescue and is put under tremendous tension in order to keep the ship from drifting away from the dock. So it is with our messages. Unspoken, unwritten, or unfelt, they just sit on our hearts languishing. Relief, edification, clarification, and good results only come when our messages are launched into an environment of tension.

Romeo and Juliet.
Democrats and Republicans.
Bosses and employees.
Your tires and the road.
Christ and the cross.

Thank God for tension. May you create it today.

Much love,
Dave