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Gratefulness
On February 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave what was to be his last sermon, ‘‘The Drum Major Instinct,’’ from the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church. The following is an excerpt from the sermon set to music. “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...”
The full text and audio of this sermon are available here.
For many of us grateful living is synonymous with service, a key component of Dr. King’s philosophy of The Beloved Community.
When we recognize that the numerous gifts in and of our lives come to us unearned, entitlement falls away. It can be a simple next step to see the difficulties experienced by others as equally undeserved and to want to ensure that all people have access to the safety, rights, comfort, and privileges that we might enjoy.
An important impact of grateful living is that it cultivates a sense of sufficiency and abundance, making us more available to life, to service, and to the courage and commitment that support taking a stand for meaningful change.
“Grateful living means many things to many people, but for me it hinges on service and learning,” writes Anthony Chavez, a former Board member of A Network for Grateful Living and the grandson of iconic civil rights and farm labor leader, Cesar Chavez, in a blog post. “Looking back I don’t recall explicitly talking much about living gratefully in my home but it was modeled all around me. Early on I learned that the highest human virtue is compassionately serving others. We were taught, as most others, that life is a gift and we ought to be grateful for it. But for us it wasn’t about counting blessings as much as recognizing everyone’s dignity. Don’t get me wrong, counting your blessings is important but it need not stop with oneself when we can divide each other’s pain and multiply our joys.”
Anthony speaks to the value and importance of not simply noticing and appreciating our blessings (although that practice is transformative in and of itself) but also acting from a place of the great-fullness of our lives. In so doing we can participate in changing the lives of others, and the world.
In his sermon, The Drum Major Instinct, excerpted above, Dr. King speaks of our desire to be recognized and praised as a basic instinct. He invites us to consider what it is we wish to be praised for. As he approaches the end of the sermon, Dr. King declares:
If I can help somebody as I pass along, If I can cheer somebody with a word or song, If I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong, Then my living will not be in vain. If I can do my duty as a Christian ought, If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought, If I can spread the message as the master taught, Then my living will not be in vain. Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, (Yes) not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world.
If I can help somebody as I pass along, If I can cheer somebody with a word or song, If I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong, Then my living will not be in vain. If I can do my duty as a Christian ought, If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought, If I can spread the message as the master taught, Then my living will not be in vain.
Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, (Yes) not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world.
And so, on this day celebrating the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr., we invite you to reflect upon your gifts, capacities, and/or privileges and consider how you might serve the world today.
In love, justice, truth, and commitment to others, how might we make of this old world a new world?
We welcome hearing from you in the reflection area below…
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There is a great door to serve others, opened by this Gratefulness-team and kindred hearts, which is the opportunity to start offering local gratefulness-gatherings. To meet once a month with people of the area where I live and share in the theme of gratefulness is something I think I will be able to additionally manage in my already busy and engaged life. It is a huge gift that there is already a structure available which helps organizing it in a suitable and manageable way.
Therefor I decided to join and offer such a group at my place in Solothurn, Switzerland and see how it goes. Anyone who might be interested is cordially welcome to come and create something beautiful all together.
It is not much what I can contribute, but this comparable little support offered for participants might have a ripple effect for their personal well-being, their social connections and community, if it works well, which might increase so many positive qualities in the lives of all who take part, as I am sure the ones who share here regularly have come to experience already, like I have, too.
If you don´t mind, I would like to encourage others who share here to join and become a host, too. This could be a contribution sustained by our hearts all together, all over the world, in many and more places. Imagine! How our world would look like then!
I am deeply grateful for this offer, dear Gratefulness-team. May your idea and intention become true all over.
Dear Ose, I just want to thank you for your bright-shining reflection and for your brave intention to serve in this way. You will be a wonderful host! My friend, I so very much wish I could join you in your local gratefulness-gathering! But being so far away, of course the idea is that I would join you in spirit by hosting a gathering where I am — and this is a deep desire I have considered but honestly doubt whether I have the gifts/capacities to bring about. This is to say that I appreciate your encouragement and I will once again entertain this desire to see if way opens. I join you in imaging a beautiful outcome and in thanking the Gratefulness Team for the gift of this community-creating project. Sent with love from grateful sea.
Thank you dearly for your kind encouragement and appreciation. It helps starting the project. Warmly, Ose
Mahatma Gandhi said ,”In a gentle way, you can shake the world”. We each have our own unique way of serving and changing the world and the lives of others. May we all listen to our heart and do what feels right for us.
Blessings and peace to everyone, Sheila??
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