News// Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today, January 17, 2011, we pause to remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose influence as an ambassador of peace has forever altered American history. He was a man of principle, who loved and valued people of every background, every color and every walk of life. Dr. King was one of those rare individuals whose conviction was backed by unwavering courage, respect for human life, dignity, education, a gift for communication, and a willingness to face whatever circumstances or peril his mission brought into his path.
He is a hero today. And he earned the title of hero not because he longed to be revered or well-known, but because he was a servant even in the face of ridicule, danger, cruelty, threats, resistance, and a tragically violent death.
In a sermon he delivered on February 4, 1968, exactly two months before he was brutally murdered, Dr. King challenged his congregation to consider how true greatness is achieved. The following is an excerpt from that sermon.
Consider these words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and join believers across the world in continuing his work by truly learning how to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. In this sermon, Dr. King quotes the words of Jesus, who was and is the Prince of Peace the One who taught us how to love others by first loving us so lavishly.
Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness.
If you want to be importantwonderful.
If you want to be recognizedwonderful.
If you want to be greatwonderful.
But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
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, because everybody can serve.
You don"t have to have a college degree to serve
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.
You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.
And you can be that servant
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