James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Demonstrative speeches turn out to be some of the most interesting assignments I give my Public Speaking students. They also hold the record for most mishaps. Since students are required to show how to do something, not just talk about a subject, topics range from how to make guacamole to line dancing.
One of the most memorable occurred when a student directed the class outside and showed us how to make a cut when catching a football. We lined up, listening to his instructions. But something went wrong with my turn. I must have made the cut too sharply because I landed on my back. Realizing how ridiculous I must have looked, I just started laughing. But the poor student thought I was crying, and he rushed to my side afraid he had paralyzed the professor!
Then there was the time when a student showed us how to color Easter eggs. After the demonstration he gave me the eggs he had decorated for his speech. I put them in my bag and forgot about them. Well, I forgot until a few days later when I opened my bag to retrieve my folder for the next class. I found my notes saturated with egg yolk! In his haste to prepare for class, he had zapped the eggs in the microwave rather than boiling them.
The most disastrous speeches have involved origami. Instructions tend to be far too complicated for a classroom of students at all different levels of logic to follow. After one student spent over thirty minutes trying to help students understand the folds, I began instituting time limits. And as much as I enjoy the artistry of this beautiful craft, I tell my student to pick any topic BUT origami!
Demonstrative speeches make me think of how we follow Jesus. If we hope to show others how to live the Christian life, we have to do more than tell them the good news, we have to show them. James says if we only talk about our faith but don’t combine it with action, we deceive ourselves. If we speak about forgiveness, kindness and justice, but don’t practice these virtues, we should question the veracity of our faith. Let alone be an example to follow.
It’s actually a simple truth. A lot less complicated than origami!