Have you ever noticed how society in general, often repeats certain phases so much that they almost lose their meaning? Here is what I mean. How often do you see someone in passing, and when they say, "Hey how's it going? You almost like a reflex respond fine even if your really not. I know I have often done this. I do it because the person who asked, doesn't usually have the time to hear how I really am, and I don't really have the time to tell them. The truth is many times, if your like me, you often feel that people are just asking you how you are just to be polite to have something to say as a way of greeting when they see you in passing but not many, you meet, really care how you may truly be feeling so it's easier, to just answer and say fine, and go one your way. Thus, the question of how you are doing and your answer, are basically, just polite words that may be said but have no real meaning.
President Obama has been called a very inspiring speaker and I must admit during his campaign in 2008, he certainly appeared to be a great orator. I have noticed that like many Presidents before him, President Obama, often concludes his speeches with the phase God bless America. I admit to you however, I often ask myself if he truly means it. Talking about God is easy but really knowing the God your talking about well, that's something else.
A story is told a bout a small farm town who was challenged by a surrounding big city district to a speaking contest. The winner would receive a prize based on what the other had to offer if the farm town won, the city promised to expand no further and they promised to reduce certain taxes the the farmers always had to pay when they went into the city. On the other hand, if the farm town lost the speaking contest then they would agree to give up a predetermined amount of their land and the the surrounding city district would be allowed to expand and certain taxes would be raised to pay for the expansion. The city leaders felt sure they would win. The city district leaders selected the twenty third Psalm this would be the passage that would be delivered the city thought that was very gracious because they thought most farmers would not be familiar with more famous speeches given in history. The judges were equally selected there were seven three from the city district, and three from the farming community and one judge from another city was there to cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie.The people of the farming community could not afford to hire a professional orator so they had their church's preacher who was also a farmer deliver their version of the twenty third Psalm. On the day day of the contest the city leaders elected to go first, and the orator they hired did a masterful job delivering his rendition of the twenty third Psalm and indeed when he finished, what followed, was thunderous applause. Next, it was the farming community's turn the old farmer and country preacher started slowly and quoted the twenty third Psalm from memory, but he did it in such a way that it seemed like he was just talking to the listeners and they in turn felt like they were hearing a private conversation between the old country preacher and the Lord.When the preacher and fellow farmer fished his rendition of the twenty third Psalm there was no thunderous applause because everyone who had heard the preacher speak were too busy, wiping tears from their eyes. Suddenly, all seven judges stood to their feet and each proclaimed the preacher was the winner of the contest. The city leaders screamed that's unfair! We had a professional, who clearly did a better job, so why does the preacher win? The seventh judge answered simply, the orator, knows the twenty third Psalm, but the country preacher, he knows the Shepard and his words, while he quoted the twenty third Psalm had real meaning.
Words must continue to have meaning or they be come empty because those who hear them know they mean nothing. as always, my friends, these thoughts remain, just some words, to think on.
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