The Drum Major Instinct

[Sapphire Blue]

The Drum Major Instinct
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

(excerpt)

And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Amen) That's a new definition of greatness.

And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, (Everybody) because everybody can serve. (Amen) You don't have to have a college degree to serve. (All right) You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. (Amen) You only need a heart full of grace, (Yes, sir, Amen) a soul generated by love. (Yes) And you can be that servant.

(snip)

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/publications/sermons/680204.000_Drum_Major_Instinct.html

The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

(excerpt)

Somewhere along the way, we must learn that there is nothing greater than to do something for others. And this is the way I've decided to go the rest of my days. That’s what I’m concerned about. John, if you and Bernard happen to be around when I come to the latter-days and that moment to cross the Jordan, I want you to tell them that I made a request: I don’t want a long funeral. In fact, I don’t even need a eulogy (No) more than one or two minutes. (All right) I hope that I will live so well the rest of the days—I don't know how long I’ll live, and I’m not concerned about that—but I hope I can live so well that the preacher can get up and say, "He was faithful." (Yes) That’s all, that’s enough. (That’s right) That’s the sermon I’d like to hear: "Well done my good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful; you’ve been concerned about others." (That’s right) That’s where I want to go from this point on the rest of my days. (Oh yeah) "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant." I want to be a servant. (Yes) I want to be a witness for my Lord, to do something for others.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/publications/sermons/670409.000_The_Three_Dimensions_of_a_Complete_Life.htm

A Conversation on Poverty & Segregation
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber

(excerpt)

But for God’s sake, don’t ever give up, because some child is depending on you, some family is hoping for a better day, some worker needs a breakthrough, the voiceless still need a voice, the poor still need an advocate, those in the margin still need to be mentioned, people who are down still need to be lifted, the hurt still need to be healed.

USE YOUR LIFE IN THE COURT OF HUMANITY TO SAY “I WILL OBJECT UNTIL JUSTICE ROLLS DOWN LIKE WATERS & RIGHTEOUSNESS LIKE A MIGHTY STREAM!"

http://www.unc.edu/law/povertycenter/audio/barber.mp3 (audio)

http://law.unc.edu/Centers/details.aspx?ID=430&Q=3

"Our lives no longer belong to us alone; they belong to all those who need us desperately." - Elie Wiesel


Opportunities to serve can be found @

http://www.thekingcenter.org/prog/bc/get-involved/Default.asp?personZipCd=&distance=10&Submit=Click+to+Serve%21

http://national.unitedway.org/getinvolved/index.cfm

[bobbolink]

1. "Well done my good and faithful servant..." "You've been concerned about

others"

YES!! He pointed out the path to us so very well!

It's a hard path to follow when the well-trod paths are filled with so much striving and grasping, but look at what he was able to do by keeping to this path!

Yes, I'm ready to walk that direction!

Anyone ready to walk with me?

[Sapphire Blue]

2. Walking until I can't walk anymore.

[bobbolink]

3. "Keep on a-walkin', keep on a-talkin'..."

There was a day when we weren't walking so alone....

I hope we'll be joined by more soon....

:loveya:

[goclark]

4. Simply amazing Sapphire, as always nt

Bookmarked.