A soft answer
It's Sunday, and I played hooky today. I didn't make it to the service this morning. But the most unusual thing happened. I watched commercial television, and actually had some time with God. Let me explain.
One of the things I regret about having to be in church every Sunday morning is that I must miss one of my favorite broadcast personalities---Charles Osgood. I think one of the reasons he is such a hero of mine in the industry is that he's actually a radio man. Granted, he's in TV now, but he's a radio man. And that's what I am. I haven't been in the business for 30 years now, but I'm radio man. Started at age 12, and will be until I die.
And I forgot how much I like Charles Osgood, and why, until I turned on the set this morning while staying home from church.
There was no shouting, no rancor, no bitterness. The terrible political battles were missing.
Instead, there were beautiful stories, and a very emotional story really touched me. I was reminded of the verse in Proverbs that says a soft answer turns away wrath, or as the NIV translation puts it, a "gentle answer."
I love the broadcasting business, but I don't like what I see and hear today.
I used to like to produce programs that made people laugh and cry, made them love their fellow-man, made them want to care and to do something, made them want to get involved. Granted, I did my share of controversial programming, and I made people angry. But community was at the center of our programming, and compassion was an essential ingredient.
Today, it's a different story.
A person by the name of Ambrose Pierce said, "Speak when you are angry, and you'll give the best speech you'll ever regret."
I wonder if anybody get's that any more.
One of the things I regret about having to be in church every Sunday morning is that I must miss one of my favorite broadcast personalities---Charles Osgood. I think one of the reasons he is such a hero of mine in the industry is that he's actually a radio man. Granted, he's in TV now, but he's a radio man. And that's what I am. I haven't been in the business for 30 years now, but I'm radio man. Started at age 12, and will be until I die.
And I forgot how much I like Charles Osgood, and why, until I turned on the set this morning while staying home from church.
There was no shouting, no rancor, no bitterness. The terrible political battles were missing.
Instead, there were beautiful stories, and a very emotional story really touched me. I was reminded of the verse in Proverbs that says a soft answer turns away wrath, or as the NIV translation puts it, a "gentle answer."
I love the broadcasting business, but I don't like what I see and hear today.
I used to like to produce programs that made people laugh and cry, made them love their fellow-man, made them want to care and to do something, made them want to get involved. Granted, I did my share of controversial programming, and I made people angry. But community was at the center of our programming, and compassion was an essential ingredient.
Today, it's a different story.
A person by the name of Ambrose Pierce said, "Speak when you are angry, and you'll give the best speech you'll ever regret."
I wonder if anybody get's that any more.
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