Thursday; September 28
“I just want to be heard!” This sentiment is as prevalent today as it has ever been. Whether it is a teenager, a protester, a spouse, a Christian missionary, a civil rights advocate or a politician most people just want the opportunity to express their opinion and have their voice heard. Sure, the eventual goal is a change in some behavior, but in the beginning, the goal is for someone to just listen to us. Often, when we discuss this issue, we advocate that those with a message be given a platform (in other words we support the messengers desire to be heard), but there is another part to this … when given the opportunity the message must be ready to be presented. At the end of a protest, when a child has a parent’s attention or when a Christian has an audience we must be ready to speak our peace in an informative, enlightening and inspiring way. In other words, before demanding to be heard, we have to have something to say. Before seeking the spotlight, we need t