It seems a simple enough thing, this day on the
calendar. But I’m old enough, and you
probably are, too, to remember when Dr. King’s birthday was not a holiday. Although the Stevie Wonder “Happy Birthday”
is the standard now for regular folks’ birthdays, I pointed out to my kids
recently that this cooler, dance-ier version to cut cake by was part of the
campaign to make Dr. King’s birthday a holiday, way back in the 80’s (this
holiday was only first officially celebrated in 1986.)
For my kids’ entire life, the third Monday has not only been
a federal holiday for Dr. King’s birthday, it’s also been a Day of Service, where
we are encouraged to be of service to our community in line with Dr. King’s
dream.
That’s kinda cool, don’t you think, that to them, the King
holiday has always been about service to others. Each year, we go to a large-scale community
event where dozens of organizations have set up project work-stations and
information displays. Over the years,
we’ve worked on cards for soldiers, packing lunches for the shelter, making
bracelets and small play items for children in the hospital, blankets for the
shelter, among many other projects.
It’s really as much as fun as it is service for them, since
they often bring or meet their friends there and then wander from station to
station together. But it’s okay, this
simpler day of service. They have the
opportunity to learn about the needs in our community. It serves as a reminder not to let this
holiday become just another day off from school, to sleep in, listen absently
to the famous “I Have a Dream” speech and stop thinking about the words. It’s a stop in time to reflect on Dr. King’s admonishment
to overcome self-centeredness by finding purpose in your life in his sermon
“Conquering Self-Centeredness.”
“I think one of the best
ways to face this problem of self-centeredness is to discover some cause and
some purpose, some loyalty outside of yourself and give yourself to that
something.”
Across your community, there is probably some type of
organized service program today. If not,
you can always find your own interest, cause, or purpose. And can I give you a few pointers, from my
own experience?
Find something hands-on. It’s valued, of course, to write a
check or click the PayPal “donate” button, the organization will be happy to
accept your donation, and you will probably even feel good about doing it. But
it’s a different feeling to get up, touch something or somebody, and see
someone smile (even yourself). Pack
foods at the local pantry, pass out meals at the shelter, sort clothes at the
church collection, read books to children, knit a scarf for a foster child,
shovel an elderly neighbor’s walkway. I know that you will reflect back on this
experience differently than you will putting that check in the mail.
Do something for other people. Whatever your normal service activity may be,
if you have one, choose something today that’s for people. There’s a lot of volunteer activities
involving collecting blankets for dogs or hauling trash out the river and they
are all worthwhile. But today, consider the spirit of Dr. King and do something
that touches another person.
Find something you enjoy.
Community service doesn’t have to be only serving soup or painting a
fence, unless you like that sort of thing.
Find something you enjoy doing, something meaningful to you, and to
which you can add value. That’s not to say it’s always going to be fun and
wonderful, service may sometimes be uncomfortable or even hard, that’s
okay. Sometimes your best experiences
will be when you get out of your comfort zone.
Keep doing it. Today
is the Day of Service – just one day. But don’t stop by midnight and then wait
until next January to do something else.
Let today be a springboard or a change in pace. If you already have a regular service
activity, let today be the day you try something different. If you want to start being more active, use
today as a day to explore the needs in your neighborhood and how you can use
your skills and talents. Make a plan to
stay active all year long. Even consider
getting your friends involved, the more the merrier.
Need some inspiration about why you should get out
there? Read Dr. King’s 1957 sermon about
our tendency to be self-centered. I only
came across it while writing this blog post, in search of the source of the quote,
“What have you done for others?” Get
your coffee and sit back, it’s a bit long. In fact, it’s more than just the
sermon, it’s the transcript of the church service. It goes from the church announcements and
offering all the way to alter call. He
promises not to preach too long, on account of the heat (it’s August in Alabama). But, if you’ve ever been to a Black Baptist
church you know when the preacher says he’s not going to preach too long, well,
just get comfortable, you may be there a while.
The sermon goes on about the dangers of self-centeredness
and the solutions, which brings us to the point of the day – being of service
to others. Don’t think you’ve gotten
where you have all by yourself, don’t think you are too important. Find your
purpose.
Enjoy your day. I’d love to hear where or how you gave in
service. #MLKDay
No comments:
Post a Comment