Tuesday Musing #57

Happy Tuesday everyone

I listened to someone talk about social justice a few days ago. It was an interesting talk and I know that much guilt was attempted in his speech to move the people in the audience. I'm not sure where we were being moved to, but I know the intent was to move us.

Why does an angry generation exist? This person is clearly part of an angry generation that sees the injustices of our world and then deigns to know all and subsequently spews their venom on the next unlucky audience?

I believe that one of the most important things to know when speaking, is your audience. Now, having said that, I don't know my audience in this blog. I know there are some who read this, but I don't know how many and I rarely know who is reading. Back to my point, a speaker should "know their audience" certainly not intimately, but at least have some working knowledge of the people being spoken to. Unfortunately, this speaker did not know the audience, and if he did, then his angry, ignorant outbursts were intentional.

To contrast this, I also heard a person working for social justice in the same time frame (last weekend) speak about the cause that she is most familiar with. The difference was the tenor of the communication. One was anger, incorrect and directional. The other was gentle, expressive and graceful. Guess which one I got more from? I did learn from the angry presentation, but not what was intended.

I wonder why we need to display the angry side of things to get the attention of people? I do know this, there are too many wealthy people out there who could do something to assist a child or even a whole village, but they are not and in the words of Dr. John (the physician not the musician), someday there will be a reckoning. I can't make a difference with regards to all the ills in our society. I can however do something about it, one child at a time. I can provide for education, clothing, health care and love for children as they struggle for an existence so much different from mine.

I am not wealthy, I can do something. I can speak out against the things that are unacceptable. I can work for peace and support children. I won't go about my attempts to change society with an angry approach, I may be angry, but I will do this in love, which is defines as: patience, kindness, not envious, not boastful, not proud, not rude, not self seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.

So, on this Tuesday, what moves you?

Happy Tuesday everyone