Monday Meanderings - 5.23.2016

Spent yesterday afternoon running the sound for the Baccalaureate service for the high school across the street from our church. We have a close relationship with this school and they have held their Baccalaureate in our building for a number of years.

The speaker for the service was going over his notes with the guy running video; checking his slides and such, and he, the speaker, had a video to play during his talk, so we did a sound check to make sure all was good. This video was a Ted Talk, and it began with a woman speaker who opened with a question addressed to her Ted Talk audience; "How many of you have paid for sex? Hold up your hand if you have paid for sex."

You cannot believe how fast the two women in charge of the Baccalaureate made it from the front of our building to the sound desk. screaming "No! No! Absolutely not!"

It's complicated, but the gentleman who was asked to speak is a highly successful businessman, who, instead of retiring, set up and is now running a foundation to help combat sexual trafficking of children. His speech today (originally) was intended to challenge the graduates to think larger than just going to college, or getting a job, or whatever. He wanted to ask them to seek out the good they could do, and oh by the way here's something that needs your attention.

Now the students who chose him as the speaker knew what his agenda was, and they were on board with his intended message, but the Harper Valley PTA ladies were having none of it. Eventually, he removed about 3/4 of his slides and pared his notes down to how he became a successful businessman and how he then turned his efforts to doing good, and oh by the way here's something you might want to consider.

I didn't see the entire video, but I'm guessing that the Ted Talk went on to say that many, if not most, young people in the sex trade are trafficked.

So. How was your Sunday afternoon?