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Posted by: David Bunch

The Learning Channel has a new reality show called The Messengers. It sets out to find America's next inspirational speaker, which is kind of cool. I enjoy listening to motivational speakers, and it seems that good public speakers are a rarity these days.

The Messengers explores their ability to communicate the many complexities of life’s toughest lessons. Along the way, the speakers address issues viewers face in their everyday lives and communities. The foundation of each episode is a field trip designed to give the speakers a profound learning experience – the opportunity to walk in someone else’s shoes.

Contestants spend time, for example, with the homeless in Los Angeles before giving a speech about the experience.

The New York Times has this review of the show, pointing out that many of the contestants have a religious theme to their speeches, or come from a religious background.

The contestants were chosen for the same reasons as dinner guests or the participants on “Big Brother,” an interesting mix. They include Cornelious (See)Flowers, a self-described “spoken-word artist” who combines hip-hop cool with a preacher’s hortatory style (“My benevolence has no relevance”); Angelica Osborne, an Alabama preacher’s daughter and apartment manager; and Kent Healy, a surfer and self-help guru from San Clemente, Calif. Their speaking styles are all quite different, even though Christianity is a common bond for many. Angelica tells stories that are amusing and also touching. Robert Rutherford, a pastor and construction worker, sounds a lot like Bill Clinton.