And I find myself curious why some have connected with me deeply. Changed my life even. And others make me want to put a spoon through my head.
I actually don't think it is about skill. While a skilled speaker can generally hold my attention, it doesn't always move or stay with me. I'm also pretty sure it doesn't come down to whether or not I agree with the ideas.
This morning it hit me that the differentiating factor is possibly about love. When the person speaking loves the audience, it comes through. Performers instinctively know this. Stage actors love the audience...and they connect. A person who loves their small group can ramble with no skill trying to express something from the heart and it can touch me deeply. Contrast that with someone who takes a long time talking in order to boost their own position and ego.
The Apostle Paul wrote, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."
I was taught as a little girl that if I didn't get something out of a sermon there was probably something wrong with my heart or relationship with God. Now I think I just have a low tolerance for noise.
2 comments
Where's the "like" button when you need it?! :-)
That makes a lot of sense. I used to get upset in church whenever a preacher raised his voice because I thought he was mad. However, my granddad could shout during his preaching and I was never troubled. I knew that he wasn't mad at me.
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