Posted by
peripheral on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 7:02:24 AM
From My Perspective - - -
Unguarded moments and being dismissive of forethought can reveal many
inner feelings and sentiments. In some instances, it would be an
experience similar to riding with a square wheel, namely, anything but
smooth and comfortable. An old and pithy reminder was: “Always remember
to engage your brain before you operate your mouth.” The picture is
drawn from older model cars that had a manual transmission and a clutch
to engage the gears. If one did not depress the clutch, he would either
strip the gears or remain motionless. If the clutch was released too
quickly, the vehicle would hop (like a rabbit) rather than roll
smoothly. This is the same truism with rhetoric. Another adage states:
“Think before you speak!” There are illustrations where these
principles seem to have been ignored and/or avoided - - -
An interesting entertainment news headline yesterday stated: “JIMMY KIMMEL DEMOLISHES ABC’S UPFRONTS…”
The report goes on to say: At Tuesday afternoon’s upfront presentation
in New York, Mr. Kimmel, the host of ABC’s late night talk show “Jimmy
Kimmel Live,” delivered a withering, blistering monologue that took
direct aim at ABC, its potential advertisers and his NBC late-night
rival, Jay Leno… “Everything you’re going to hear this week is”
nonsense. “Let’s get real here…These new fall shows? We’re going to
cancel about 90 percent of them. Maybe more.” If ABC is so confident in
its new fall shows, he asked, why is it announcing them at the same
time it announces the midseason shows that will replace those fall
shows? To the ABC advertisers…“Every year we lie to you and every year
you come back for more. You don’t need an Upfront…“I think all our
shows are going to work this year. I really do.” He paused. “I don’t,
really. ”Before departing the stage, he said: The important thing to
remember is: who cares, it’s not your money.”
In another article headlined, “REID JOINS BIDEN, PELOSI IN MISSTATEMENTS”,
we read: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid became the latest Democrat
to stray into rhetorical trouble Tuesday, botching statements on three
subjects in one news conference…about… Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass;
Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W. VA; and “Reid also mangled his party's
position on the congressional news of the day, that Senate Democrats
would join their House counterparts in withholding the money President
Barack Obama needs to close the Guantanamo Bay prison until Obama comes
up with a plan for relocating its prisoners…Reid went further…"We will
never allow terrorists to be released into the United States…Part of
what we don't want is them be put in prisons in the United States…We
don't want them around the United States." Is this candor, rancor, or
stupidity?
Consider these things with me - - - A very succinct statement of an opportunity and obligation for a wise person is stated in COLOSSIANS 4:5-6,
“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let
your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may
know how you ought to answer each person.” Gracious and Tasteful Speech
is so important and vital. There is too much that comes across as
crude, profane, belligerent, obnoxious and humorless. What is need is
serious and constructive speech – not political rhetoric or other
meaningless platitudes. There is a good rule given in JAMES 1:19-22,
“Know this…let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to
anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive
with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But
be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
There is one last observation on this subject in MATTHEW 12:34-37
where Jesus observes: “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good,
when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and
the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you,
on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word
they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words
you will be condemned." Words have meanings, and meanings convey
thoughts and inner feelings. Let us set a personal goal that our words
will always be Gracious, Tasteful, and Effective as we live out and
proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.