good speakers

Has speaking well become the new standard for the pulpit or political office. One person commenting on a presidential candidate mentioned that people listen to him because he speaks well. That would be in contrast to the current president who mispronounces words. Another president was called "the great communicator" but his critics complained that he his speech was deceitful. What about the meaning of words? Words mean something or they mean nothing. We could have shades of Orwell's "1984" or "Animal Farm."

But I see churches wanted great communicators for all generations in a congregation. Many of these churches would love to have the Apostle Paul as their preacher, or would they? Paul admits that he was not a trained speaker, that he had difficulty in public speaking, that he wasn't anything to look at because of some physical disability, and add to that are the facts that he stirred up trouble everywhere he went and was arrested several times. I'm sure some congregations would want to stay away from such a person.

I'm all for clear communication if we are saying what needs to be said. But no matter how you look at it, communicating is difficult, even with people who are intimately familiar with one another. Just consider a husband and wife or parents and children. When a preacher speaks, people hear words and translation them out of their own experiences and definitions. As such, some things can be misunderstood and wrong impressions left. That is why we need to sit down and talk with one another and clarify what we are saying.

Sadly, however, some just want to be entertained by find sounding words. The prophet Ezekiel was told by God that the people of his day loved to hear him speak but will not put his words into practice (see Ezekiel 33:30ff). I fear that too many want a good speaker who says nothing or means something different from what the words he uses mean.

Be careful what you wish for.