Every year our nation celebrates the memory and the hopes of Martin Luther King, Jr. I think this is a good thing, although I know in some parts of our country, it is not a favored thing to do. King was controversial in his lifetime and continues to be in some ways in the remembering of his life. I am so old, I actually recall the April day in 1968 when King was shot in Memphis. It was a sad day and raised fears that a different kind of civil war could break out. While King’s amazing work stands for itself, it is also clear his vision is unfilled and there is work yet to be done.
To inspire us to commit to that vision and continue his work, I would share some thoughts and advice from the late civil rights leader. Much of his thoughts and work focused on love. This should not surprise us since he was a follower of Jesus, who instructed all his followers to love God and neighbor. In fact, this is a nice summary of all Jesus taught. The gospel is love embodied. The highest challenge of love is compassion. This we see in the life and ministry of Jesus and the same thing is true for King. Was he perfect? Of course not. None of us are perfect either. But that is not an excuse for not trying to love.
Listen to the first admonition of Dr. King. He says, “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” This is simple and powerful. It tells us that we always have a choice. We can love or we can choose to hate. Usually love is the bigger challenge. Hate is easy, although the fruits of hate are most unfortunate. Choose love. And to choose love typically requires some courage. Loving family and friends is relatively easy. Loving all neighbors and, especially, enemies is not easy.
This challenge of love leads King to observe, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” No doubt, many folks in the world don’t really want to transform enemies into friends. We would really beat them---win---or maybe even do away with them! Love wants to do away with enemies, too, but by transforming them into friends. There is a huge difference! Often this kind of love is tied to hope.
The next bit of wisdom from King speaks to this kind of hope. King notes, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Hope is a tricky concept---a virtue in its classical sense. As a virtue, hope always aims at the good. Hoping to do in or do away with your enemy is not really virtuous and, therefore, not legitimate as hope. Authentic hope aims to transform the enemy into a friend. That always will be a good thing. And to hope that may mean finite disappointment. But we must never lose infinite hope. To me this implicates God and that is a good thing.
It is obvious that King thought a great deal about love and hate. Another bit of wisdom from him makes a wonderful point. King tells us that “Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it.” I think it is true. If we hate, then we come under the grips of that emotion, such that we are attached---paralyzed in King’s understanding. And this hate may fester in us that we become addicted. The hate emotion rages like flames and this can destroy us and the other. King is correct; love releases life.
King continues this line of thinking. He adds that “Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. That is profound to me. I do think hate confuses. And often it is confusing. The irony is people can think hate is so clear. But it is shortsighted and short term. It feels like its execution solves things. But hate acted out only confuses and blows up in our face. Only love is a solution.
Finally, King declares that “Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.” The wisdom of King enables us to choose light or darkness. It really is a spiritual choice. This choice is not simply a way to think about things. Ultimately it is a choice about how to live---how to act. Love and hate are not simply ideas and concepts. They are ways we choose to live. And to choose love is to choose to serve---serve God and all God’s creatures.
On service King offers this bit of wisdom. He says, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” That is a powerful question we can ask each day we get out of bed. What will I do for others? This is a non-egotistical question. It puts the other person---and the other group---at the center. This question cannot be an egocentric question.
I appreciate the author, Jon Gordon, reminding me of some of these words from King. I appreciate the power and potential of these words. I am grateful for the difference they can make in my life and in the world.
Thanks, Martin Luther King, Jr, for your wisdom.
To inspire us to commit to that vision and continue his work, I would share some thoughts and advice from the late civil rights leader. Much of his thoughts and work focused on love. This should not surprise us since he was a follower of Jesus, who instructed all his followers to love God and neighbor. In fact, this is a nice summary of all Jesus taught. The gospel is love embodied. The highest challenge of love is compassion. This we see in the life and ministry of Jesus and the same thing is true for King. Was he perfect? Of course not. None of us are perfect either. But that is not an excuse for not trying to love.
Listen to the first admonition of Dr. King. He says, “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” This is simple and powerful. It tells us that we always have a choice. We can love or we can choose to hate. Usually love is the bigger challenge. Hate is easy, although the fruits of hate are most unfortunate. Choose love. And to choose love typically requires some courage. Loving family and friends is relatively easy. Loving all neighbors and, especially, enemies is not easy.
This challenge of love leads King to observe, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” No doubt, many folks in the world don’t really want to transform enemies into friends. We would really beat them---win---or maybe even do away with them! Love wants to do away with enemies, too, but by transforming them into friends. There is a huge difference! Often this kind of love is tied to hope.
The next bit of wisdom from King speaks to this kind of hope. King notes, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Hope is a tricky concept---a virtue in its classical sense. As a virtue, hope always aims at the good. Hoping to do in or do away with your enemy is not really virtuous and, therefore, not legitimate as hope. Authentic hope aims to transform the enemy into a friend. That always will be a good thing. And to hope that may mean finite disappointment. But we must never lose infinite hope. To me this implicates God and that is a good thing.
It is obvious that King thought a great deal about love and hate. Another bit of wisdom from him makes a wonderful point. King tells us that “Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it.” I think it is true. If we hate, then we come under the grips of that emotion, such that we are attached---paralyzed in King’s understanding. And this hate may fester in us that we become addicted. The hate emotion rages like flames and this can destroy us and the other. King is correct; love releases life.
King continues this line of thinking. He adds that “Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. That is profound to me. I do think hate confuses. And often it is confusing. The irony is people can think hate is so clear. But it is shortsighted and short term. It feels like its execution solves things. But hate acted out only confuses and blows up in our face. Only love is a solution.
Finally, King declares that “Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.” The wisdom of King enables us to choose light or darkness. It really is a spiritual choice. This choice is not simply a way to think about things. Ultimately it is a choice about how to live---how to act. Love and hate are not simply ideas and concepts. They are ways we choose to live. And to choose love is to choose to serve---serve God and all God’s creatures.
On service King offers this bit of wisdom. He says, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” That is a powerful question we can ask each day we get out of bed. What will I do for others? This is a non-egotistical question. It puts the other person---and the other group---at the center. This question cannot be an egocentric question.
I appreciate the author, Jon Gordon, reminding me of some of these words from King. I appreciate the power and potential of these words. I am grateful for the difference they can make in my life and in the world.
Thanks, Martin Luther King, Jr, for your wisdom.
Comments
Post a Comment