So we’re getting ready to start presenting Persuasive Speeches in the class I teach at a local college. For the past semester, I’ve been encouraging students to really reach down inside of themselves, find an issue they are passionate about, and research it more than they ever have before.
And there’s a lot of work involved: personal reflections, practical exercises, book overviews, interviews, and more. I want them to dig deep! The compilation of all this research comes to a climax over the next couple of weeks as I hear about what they’ve discovered:
- new information they have learned
- discovering why their topic hits so “close to home” for them, why they are so passionate about it
- talking with people who have gone through it before
- watching others as they deal currently with it
- connecting their topic to their personal values and beliefs
- providing a “voice” for those who have no voice on their own
It’s an exciting time. I love hearing the passion and energy in these students’ voices as they essentially pour themselves out before us. We’ve come to trust one another, to be willing to share what is on our hearts. It’s what we’ve been working toward all semester.
So what happens when some of these topics are ones I’m “against”? When students are trying to persuade others to believe something that isn’t in line with God’s Truth?
I applaud their skills and want to continue encouraging them to grow, to voice their opinions and fight for what they believe in. But is it wrong to pray that God would help those listening to be discerning in what they hear??
