2013 New Year's Message - Inspiration from Martin Luther King

Greetings on this New Year's Day,

New Year's day is here and I'm neither happy nor sad; I'm in a contemplative mood. A couple of days ago I wrote a blog honoring the life of a man who dedicated his life trying to impact the youth of his community. Victor McClinton's gift to those who knew him was Servant-Leadership.  Victor tragically left this earth on Christmas Day and a vigil was held for him on the steps of the Pasadena City Hall on December 27th. At the vigil, one of Victor's long time friends, Candace Lacy, sang a moving song that captured the essence of his life. "If I Can Help Somebody" is a traditional gospel hymn that was a Martin Luther King, Jr. favorite. I wish I could share Candace's version of the song, but since I can't, I found this wonderful version of the song by W. Clifford Petty:

Here are the lyrics:

If I can help somebody, as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody, with a word or song,
If I can show somebody, how they're traveling wrong,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

Chorus:
My living shall not be in vain,
Then my living shall not be in vain
If I can help somebody, as I pass along,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

If I can do my duty, as a good man ought,
If I can bring back beauty, to a world up wrought,
If I can spread love's message, as the Master taught,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

Chorus:
© 1945, Alma B. Androzzo

May God bless you, your family, our community and our world - Stop the Violence! We are a village!

Historical footnote - If you're a student of history, you might recognize the above lines from the last sermon that Dr. Martin Luther King gave near the end of his life. King quoted the lines of "If I can help somebody" at the end of his famous "Drum Major Instinct" sermon on 2/4/68 - http://bit.ly/2qbPAnf - "Dr. King encouraged his congregation to seek greatness, but to do so through service and love." "King concluded the sermon by imagining his own funeral, downplaying his famous achievements and emphasizing his heart to do right."

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.

......Every now and then I guess we all think realistically about that day when we will be victimized with what is life's final common denominator—that something that we call death. We all think about it. And every now and then I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think of it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said?" And I leave the word to you this morning.


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. (Yes) 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. (Yes) I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. (Yes)
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. (Amen)
I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. (Yes)
And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. (Yes)
I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. (Lord)
I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. (Yes)
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) 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. (Amen) And that's all I want to say.

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.