Amy Banka’s sermon titled "Turn the Other Cheek? Really, Jesus?" was outstanding. She took the Matthew 5:38-42 and brought pack to its original cultural implications. Which ended up being don’t fight back but passively resist. The verses in that were culture references that would either force the person to indirectly acknowledge them as an equal or get them in trouble. The prior was the acknowledge you as an equal. In Hebrew culture to slap someone with the back of ones hand was to make them lesser than you, while slapping with the palm of the hand was to acknowledge them as an equal. She spoke with passion and enthusiasm. So much so that one couldn’t help but listen to what she had to say. She genuinely cares about people understanding her message for their own growth and benefit. She also shows what the verses meant in their original cultural context such as “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.”. During that time in history a Roman soldier could only order you to carry his stuff for one mile, so by continuing on he could get in some pretty serious trouble. She also speaks with such that you end up being extremely interested in what she has to say. It’s also not just what she says but what she does while she’s talking. She makes what I can only really describe as an emphatic gesture. Essentially she takes her fist and brings it down onto her hand for emphasis. She’s also looking across the crowd constantly making eye contact with different people within the crowd. Overall she makes solid use of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, as well as body language to help her convey her point.
While at the movie theaters to see The Maze Runner , I saw a commercial that featured rhetoric. The commercial begins with a young woman named Jess purchasing two Coca Cola drinks in a convenience store. One has her own name on it, and one has the name of her friend Alisha on it. The cashier watches her forlornly as she leaves, hinting that he has a crush on his customer. Jess gives the Coke with Alisha’s name on it to her friend, and together the two friends drink them. Later, Jess, Alisha and two other friends come back into the store to buy more Coke, then leave and have a good time together. Jess keeps coming back to the store with more and more friends, each time purchasing Coca Cola with their names printed on the labels. The cashier smiles and watches, but it is clear that he wishes he was with Jess. Finally, as the cashier is closing the store for the night, Jess shows up at the door with a Coke that has the name Chris on it. She smiles and hands the drink to the ...
Sounds like a great speaker, and i like the idea of passively resisting over fighting back.
ReplyDeleteThis is a message that many people today need to hear! It seems that most people no longer practice these things and only look out for their own interests. I also agree that the way a sermon is presented makes a big impact! It is much easier to listen to someone who is passionate than someone who does not seem to care.
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