Monday; January 20

If there was a “sermon” that defined Dr. Martin Luther King’s ideals it might have been the one that has been come to be known as the “I Have a Dream” speech.  While there are several poignant moments in the speech, the one that strikes a heart-chord with me states, “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”.  Through the years I have thought about this imagery and I am convinced that it can happen – but it will only become the norm through another of Dr. King’s observations, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”  If we are going to find true unity, it won’t come through legislation or social reform – it will only happen when we are able to look deep inside ourselves and learn to live with love.  Not just a feeling of goodwill, but a dedication to treat all people with respect.  

When see people, what do we notice first – their looks or their life?  Do we base our opinions on how they dress, how they wear their hair or what kind of car they drive?  If these superficial observations are how we determine a person’s worth, none of us will be worthy of respect.  However, if we observe people’s actions and truly assess their character, we can build a nation on foundation of mutual respect.

Let’s look into people rather than at them.  When we do that, we’ll be able to lay a foundation when we can feast at the table of brotherhood.

Think About It!


Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; November 29

The biblical story of the Good Samaritan has changed our world. Notice I didn’t say that it had change religion or even Christianity, it has influenced the world. There are very few people who don’t know the moral of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. In fact, the phrase has become a common description of everyday people doing good to their neighbors. While Jesus’ parable from Luke 10 shares several spiritual lessons, one of the most practical is that good can be done by anyone. You don’t have to be a church official to do good, it is not only possible for each one of us to help, it is required of all of us. If a Samaritan can be good, so can we! After presenting the parable, Jesus asked the man who had originally asked the question about being a good neighbor which character in the story was a good neighbor, “… he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’” at which point, the discussion from theoretical to personal, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” (Luke...
Read more

Thursday; January 12

The other day I was watching a television show that used a rather common term applied to overcoming challenges. When organizations experience unexpected setbacks – especially when they lose key people – they rely upon the concept of “Next Man Up”. In essence, when our starters (or stars) go down, effective organizations rely upon their next levels to step into the vacancy. While this is an effective response, have we given much thought as to how we prepare to be the “next people up”? First, we must know our job. Even when we aren’t the primary players, we need to be preparing ourselves to be ready when we get the opportunity to shine. Second, we must do our best when we get the chance. Knowledge is important but what turns potential into talent is effort. Yet, maybe the most underappreciated aspect of this concept is a willingness avoid excuse-making and whining about the unfairness of our situation. When we complain about the circumstances that caused the need for replacements...
Read more

Monday; September 25

When I was a youngster, I remember hearing about this thing called the Generation Gap. I was a little bit too young to be active in the social movements of the 1960s, but I do remember listening to the challenges the generations were experiencing way back then. Interestingly, now that I have been on both sides of the aging process, I have to admit that the Gap of the 1960s was nothing new. With the development of each generation comes conflict. The young people don’t feel like the older people understand them and the older folks tend to believe their input is being underappreciated. Too often trust is the casualty when two generations collide. The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When we can capture the innovation and energy of the younger folks and harness the wisdom of those who have been around for a while we can develop a winning combination. No, we won’t always see things eye-to-eye nor will we necessarily speak the same emotional language, but when we app...
Read more