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“When people get caught up with
that which is right, and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is
no stopping point short of Victory.”
--From “I’ve
Been to the Mountain Top,”
a speech by
Dr.
Martin
Luther
King,
Jr.,
1968
I was born
in November, 1967. By the time I was a year old,
Martin
Luther
King,
Jr.,
was dead. So many of us “missed” the ’60’s, and some of the greatest
speakers of American history.
I am pressed to imagine
a time in this country when people protested peacefully, practiced their
politics by voting instead of complaining, and cared --actively-- for
the underprivileged. I cannot think of a single person today
--politician, celebrity, reverend or otherwise-- whose words could
empower a generation, much less a single person.
I’ve
listened to tapes of King’s speeches and sermons, and even today, his
dreams and hopes for our nation could be contagious. His cause was not
only for the negros (his word), but for equality for all mankind, for
all of God’s children (again, his words).
His power over the
people was so strong, it was not stopped even by his assassination.
“Everybody
can be great,” said King, “because everybody can serve.”
King
did not accept poverty, lack of education, or lack of opportunity as a
reason for failure. He did not accept these downfalls as anything other
than challenges to be overcome.
He believed
that by serving others, by serving a higher cause and a higher power, we
all have an equal opportunity for greatness. Not success, mind you, but
greatness. And which is better? Success or greatness? Success comes from
serving yourself. Greatness comes from serving others. Successful men
have come and gone-- so many of them forgotten. But those who serve
others--they are the ones remembered long after they are gone.
King
believed the big question in life was, “What am I doing to help others?”
He believed that finding peaceful solutions to problems was service. He
believed that equality, freedom and love served others. He believed that
the struggle of one man was a struggle for all men.
And he could speak his
beliefs loudly, with passion, in spite of fear, persecution, and
attempts on his life.
I sometimes
wish we had a leader or leaders around us who could inspire us to rise
above our circumstances. I wish for a man, or woman --black, white or
red-- who could bring us together, as
Martin
Luther
King,
Jr.
brought so many people together for a common cause of freedom and
equality for all. In my life, I have encountered very few. I look to the
next generation, and wonder
. . . who among us, among their elders, has the ability to give
them hope, or strength, or dreams of greatness?
If we can
inspire one, we can make a difference. If we can help one person, light
a light in one life, according to King, we have served another, and have
greatness within us.
Who have you
served this week, this day? Who among us took the
Martin
Luther
King,
Jr.
holiday we were given to give something in return?
Who among us
is great?
“If I can
help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or
song, if I can show somebody he is traveling wrong, then my living will
not be in vain.”
--From “The
Drum Major Instinct,”
a sermon by
Rev.
Martin
Luther
King,
Jr.,
1968.
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