mine eyes have seen...

Recently on Twitter - MLK Musings

start at bottom of this post and read up to the top

MLK didn't protect home field advantage - hotel tapes sent to Correta to be released in 2027

MLK's best friend and confidant was Ralph Abernathy - any wonder why he was so successful - he had a friend named Ralph!

But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?".

And so the first question that the Levite asked was, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?"

now reading MLK I See The Promise Land

'dear fellow clergymen' - although a prophet is not welcomed in his own home...they might be persuaded if the case is well articulated

king quotes bible, socrates, niebuhr, his son, acquinas, buber, tillich, bunyan and jefferson from a jail cell...beautiful mind!

when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy"...--then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.

now reading MLK letter from birmingham jail

'I accept this prize...22 million negroes still in battle for racial injustice'...used platform to keep spotlight on issue - not him! classy

now reading MLK Nobel Prize acceptance speech.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where...dreams are more powerful when you make them personal

reading MLK I Have a Dream speech

Say Cheese!

Since the kids are home from school today, may I suggest getting out the camera and taking some pictures with them...I'm sure Dexter Scott King proudly flaunt this picture.



more MLK pics


photo taken by my friend Jeremy Delrio

Ralph

Dr. Martin Luther King endorses "Life on Purpose"!

Another excerpt from MLK sermonThe Drum Major Instinct.


"If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school.

I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.

I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.

I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.

I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.

And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.

I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.

I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say."

Dr. King lived his life on purpose - as we consider all the amazing things people will say about MLK as we commemorate his birthday, life and legacy - consider that it was his purpose, his plan, his intention, his strategy, his blueprint that we'd say such things. Let's not leave our precious lives to chance and live in default mode. Let us all be deliberate and strategic about the time, talent and treasure entrusted to us.

So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Ralph

Greatness - Redefined!

Excert taken from The Drum Major Instinct. Sermon delivered by Martin Luther King

"...But that isn't what Jesus did; he did something altogether different. He said in substance, "Oh, I see, you want to be first. You want to be great. You want to be important. You want to be significant. Well, you ought to be. If you're going to be my disciple, you must be." But he reordered priorities. And he said, "Yes, don't give up this instinct. It's a good instinct if you use it right. It's a good instinct if you don't distort it and pervert it. Don't give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be first in love. I want you to be first in moral excellence. I want you to be first in generosity. That is what I want you to do.'

And he transformed the situation by giving a new definition of greatness. And you know how he said it? He said, "Now brethren, I can't give you greatness. And really, I can't make you first." This is what Jesus said to James and John. "You must earn it. True greatness comes not by favoritism, but by fitness. And the right hand and the left are not mine to give, they belong to those who are prepared.'
And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. 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. 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."

This weekend, some of the greatest minds and hearts in urban ministry convereged at Christ Tabernacle for RELOAD NYC - a one day training for leaders. Whenever I see great leaders (in their own right) willing to 'serve' in whatever capacity they're asked in order to accomplish a larger than life purpose and the task doesn't necessarily revolve around them - it is the most powerful example to me as an emerging leader in the game. Among many other things this weekend,(I'll blog later) I will cherish my rare moments with Larry Acosta, Harvey Carey, Bo Boshers and Dr. AR Bernard! Gentlemen, thanks for a glimpse of real greatness - in praxis!

Ralph

Politicians Say The Darnest Things

As the nation celebrated the birthday and legacy of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. both Hillary Clinton and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin were cited for inappropriate comments:

During a church service, Hillary Clinton said "the House of Representatives is run like a 'plantation'" - comparing the Republican's control of the House to a plantation where slaves (Democrats) are silenced and have no voice. She was clearly trying to work the largely black audience into a frenzy.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin spoke during an MLK event as well and he said: "this city will be a chocolate city...predominantly an African American city...just the way God wanted it to be." When asked by a white reporter to clarify his comments he said: "How do you make chocolate? You mix it with 'white milk'".

Things that make you go HMMM?

Ralph