Friday; November 29

          Booker T. Washington was born in Virginia during the waning years of American slavery.  Washington would have been a small child when the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, but he came of age during the post-slavery era of the South.  While his social and political theories were not embraced by everyone (even his own contemporaries) he became a leader in education and economic reform.  I recently came across an interesting quote that transcends his life and times of the early 20^th Century, “No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.”.  I am somewhat leery in quoting this statement because of the potential backlash about the times in which it was written; however, I think its value transcends the potential criticism.  I believe that this observation is just as important in the 21^st Century as it was 100 years ago.  Societies have come to advocate that pursuits such as philosophy and arts are more important than manual labor, however, any job done well makes all society better.  The question isn’t whether one is superior to the other, the issue is finding value in the talents and skills a person has been given.  Please don’t misunderstand me, I am not advocating that a particular race of people is better suited for one type of lifestyle or another, my point is that, as individuals, we should take pride in the particular talents we have. 

          Centuries before Professor Washington made his statement, the Apostle Paul observed, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17).  Let’s not concern ourselves as much with assessing the comparative value of what we have been given the opportunity to do; rather, let’s invest all we have in using our talent to get it done.

          Think About It!