Today I find myself wanting deeply to commemorate the national recognition of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King.
Olivier Blanchard has already penned a profound invitation to savor several life lessons from King’s example of manhood leadership and humanity.
And yet, the only way I feel honest is to communicate why his example is so vastly difficult for me to relate to and emulate and yet, regardless, what I am choosing to do to honor his legacy.
First and foremost I am a woman, he a man.
Second, I am ignorant as to what prejudice toward a race feels like.
Third, I exist during a different era where amplification of ideas is immediate and where change the world seems to be everyone’s professed social media manifesto.
Fourth, I have not ever spoken publically in the vastness he did nor will I perhaps ever draw the masses or influence even one milli-inch of those he did.
Yet.
That said, though these areas are indeed huge and could perhaps perpetuate a disconnect if I allowed apathy and surface difference motivate my thought , here are ways I’ve chosen and continue to choose to relate to the manhood he exuded.
First, I have a core conviction not only are we created equal but that one of our purposes while here in this journey is to live that equality free from gender, racial, socioeconomic bias. (How am I doing in that regard? I honestly don’t know. How does one measure the exuding of a conviction? May I keep being devoted this way).
Second, I relate in some ways to the devotion of thought to ensuring my footsteps prove the seeming limitations of my gender are only beliefs that can and are being proved illegitimate.
Third, for all the ways my era and his differ, and inspite of technology at times imposing upon us all to neglect common humanity of meeting someone simply for the value of meeting that individual, not because he or she posits a potential customer status (le sigh), how we choose to walk our walk on and offline can be very similar to King’s era. When the heart speaks, when what is true and good and aims to benefit all impels action, people listen and seek to connect.
And fourth, while I may not ever draw the crowds his speeches did nor do I seek that kind of following, it is a dream of mine–and what I’ve devoted my life and work to–to advocate for, support and encourage the inherent right of anyone anywhere to gain a deeper comprehension…
1. of practical spirituality,
2. of the fact that matter is not real,
3. that we are not limited by our beliefs of body or human condition
4. that we cannot be imprisoned by what we think holds power and authority over our lives if such power structures are human based or ideology dependent.
Health, religion and science reformer Mary Baker Eddy more than a century prior to the life experience of Martin Luther King penned these words:
“One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfills the Scripture, “Love thy neighbor as thyself;” annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry,–whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.” (Science and Health p. 340:23)
And 1900 years prior to Eddy, Paul preached “There is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female for we are all one in Christ Jesus.”
The common thread between each of these thought leaders is the conviction in inherent freedom and why.
Each of these thought leaders are role models to me for the essence of their thought and what I perceive impelled their actions…deep conviction in living man’s inherent spirituality.
So today as I pause to honor MLK, more than allow my thought be distracted or dominated by ways I have felt I can’t relate to him, surface labels that really can’t be made to resist the good of his legacy if I proactively squelch them in thought, am I choosing to zero in to why his example can and should remain at the forefront of each of our hearts for how to live –and how to advocate for –humanity and freedom now and always.
Here’s to all of our strivings each and every moment to thwart all supposition, strictures and prove our infinite abilities now.