Our From a Faith Perspective columnist reflects on service and selflessness in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The title of this article matches a Grammy Award-winning Bob Dylan song released in 1979. In it, he goes through a litany of titles and occupations, culturally prominent ones and others not so much. The moral of the song is highlighted in the refrain ― “But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes / Indeed you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”
Dylan appears to be saying he doesn’t carewhoyou are because in the end the value or meaning of our life lies in how we treated others and whether we were a kind, generous person.
A few weeks back in the U.S., we recognized Martin Luther King (MLK) day. In addition to celebrating the civil rights leader’s life and legacy, this day has been memorialized as a national day of service. This came as a result of two politicians, John Lewis and Harris Wofford, authoring the King Holiday and Service Act, which challenges Americans to transform the holiday into a day of citizen action volunteer service in honor of Dr. King. This year marked the 25th anniversary of this act becoming law.
The annual Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service is the largest event in the nation honoring King and has grown to attract as many as 125,000 volunteers on MLK day.
In Bucks County, the Buddhist Sangha of Bucks County (BSBC) joined hands with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Lower Bucks (UUFLB) to participate in our own day of service. We spent the morning preparing meals at Caring for Friends (formerly Aid for Friends). This is a remarkable organization founded in 1974 whose mission is to provide food and friendship to homebound seniors and disabled, the homeless, and families with children in the greater Philadelphia area.
The gentleman at the center organizing our volunteer efforts for MLK day was Rich Kelly. Rich is a retired teacher who exudes a spirit of giving, inspiring others to do the same.
In recognition of MLK on this special day, PBS played a documentary called“A Ripple of Hope.” I had a limited understanding of all that was happening in the U.S. in the 1960s.
Most Americans are quite aware ofJohn F. Kennedy and the impact he had, however I don’t believe this is the case of his brother, Robert “Bobby” Francis Kennedy. The title of thePBSspecial comes from a 1966 speech Bobby Kennedy delivered at the University of Cape Town.
He said, “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
On the surface, MLK and RFK did not have a lot in common. Yet, they were both deeply religious, charismatic, courageous leaders who shared in their passion for service and unity.
The most moving part of the special covers what took place on April 4, 1968 ― MLK’s assassination.
Kennedy finds himself amidst one of the worst tragedies in American history, with a monumental decision on how to respond. Despite being advised otherwise, Bobby Kennedy spoke to a crowd that same night. He acknowledged many would be filled with anger and asked them to consider all that MLK had stood for in his non-violent movement. He said the country had to make an effort to “go beyond these rather difficult times,“, and quoted a poem by the Greek playwright Aeschylus, “Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.”
Kennedy had the vision to see the only path forward following a horrific, divisive act was to seek to carry on Martin Luther King’s dream ― to see the light of hope and possibility in service to mankind.
As fate would have it, Bobby Kennedy was assassinated less than six weeks later, following a speech he gave in Los Angeles.
Adversity often leads us to explore where it is that we find meaning in our lives. Every time I volunteer, I leave feeling much better about myself. There’s a sense of brotherhood and unity, a fullness of heart.
True service is always mutually beneficial like that.
The Dalai Lama said: “Every day, think as you wake up: Today I am fortunate to have woken up. I am alive. I have a precious human life. I am not going to waste it. I’m going to use my energies to develop myself and to expand my heart out to others.”
Joe Beck is a member of the Buddhist Sangha of Bucks County, which meets at 7 p.m. Mondays at the Yardley Friends Meetinghouse. All are welcome. From a Faith Perspective is a weekly column written by members of local faith communities.
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