"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"
Martin Luther King Jr's words were never hollow. He walked his talk. He put his life behind his preaching.
With those words of Dr. King, this week we will culminate what has been a wonderful season. We attempted to do some big things, and with your help, your great attitudes, your financial investment, we have been able to accomplish them.
Our theme this season was "Competition and Community". As I wrote in a newsletter a couple months ago, the two at face value seem mutually exclusive ... opposites. If they are, that's fine, but like so many things in life, opposites can sometimes attract and complement each other.
With this paradoxical theme as a guide, we tried to bring the teaching and legacy of Martin Luther King, JR to bear on our season. We talked often about the things he said and did, the way he lived his life, the way he changed our country. We had the huge privilege of traveling to a part of America where he lived and worked and affected lives. To walk on the sidewalks and in the parks where he took on the system of racial injustice with little more than "soul force" was incredibly moving. It was a powerful experience for all of us, one that we won't ever forget.
King's goal of creating a "Beloved Community" was his purpose. That concept was based on an ancient greek word for love, called "agape." Agape love, King explained was “overflowing love which is purely spontaneous, unmotivated, groundless and creative”… "the love of God operating in the human heart.” He said that “Agape does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people…It begins by loving others for their sakes” and “makes no distinction between a friend and enemy; it is directed toward both…Agape is love seeking to preserve and create community.” http://www.thekingcenter.org/prog/bc/
This Saturday we will have an opportunity to "show love for others for their sakes" to help create a "beloved community" in a simply act of love for other people, people we have never met. Our run-a-thon will raise money to help an organization dig drinking water wells for folks in Africa that can't afford to do it on their own. We're calling it our "Digging Deep" project, we're calling on each of us to "dig deep" into our own reservoirs of conscience and ability to do what we can to help. Saturday morning we will also be collecting used running shoes to donate to the homeless of Riverside.
I encourage each of you to do your part.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The Beloved Community
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Coach Peters - I recently found your blog through my parents, who rave about you just as my brothers, Sean and David Lee, do.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to have found you, and to keep up with my brother in this way.
Thank you for encouraging Sean. Thank you for being a powerful, positive influence in his life. Thank you for being the same for David. And thank you, thank you, for encouraging the writing of my Dad on his blog. He needs fellow teachers to relate to him, to lift him up, and you have been that for him through your words. Congrats to you and your team on your continuing accomplishments!
Hello Mr.Peters, I'm Charles Kwak in yout first period AP US history class. Well the reason Im commenting your blog is because it was an assignment given by my lit teacher Ms.Lohman. In our class we have been learning about the civil disobedience movement. We have read three passages that pertains to civil disobedience, they are Thoreau's "Resistance to Civil Government", Ghandi's "Nonviolent Resistance", and King's "Letter from Birmingham City Jail. As I have read these passages I realized that Ghandi, MLK, and Thoreau have all something in common which is they are all against war and violence and for non-violent movements. As I have read your blog I learned that MLK truly poured out all his effort in order to accomplish a Beloved Community. Through this blog I have also learned that a Beloved Community is still essential in our lives even in our modern world. Well thank you Mr.Peters for posting this blog and I will see you in first period.
ReplyDeleteCharles Kwak
Period 3
Im responding to this because it was an assignment in Miss Lohman's class. We're learning about civil disobedience.
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther King Jr. was such a great man. I hope to one day go where you went to learn more about him. It would be so nice if everyone lived there lives thinking about what they could do for others. This world seems to be going downhill but if people stopped being selfish I think that would change.
Brittney Booker (Miss Lohmans Class)
ReplyDeleteHi Mr.Peters,
After reading about the newsletter it mad me really think about my ancestors. What they had to go through, and all the unjustice from the whites. Im glad Martin Luther King Jr. was a black man who spoke up for the rights of blacks and others who were probably thousounds of blacks out there back then who may of had a voice but not as strong as Dr. King himself. Like in the "Letter from Birmingham Jail," i learned that violence isnt the answer and to stay with peaceful resistance. I had also read a piece by Ghandi and Thoreu, which made me realize they had some common thoughts against war. Thank you so much for your time
from
Brittney Booker
TiTi.B[period 4 ]MS. LOHMAN CLASS
ReplyDeleteaAfter reading this blog ihave a more clearerpicture or view of how brave & wise Martin Luther Kng .jr was.He influenced the civil rights movement by peaceful resistance and stood up for what he beleived in.Iv'e learned that there are other ways to make a difference and that being with out violence.A lot of people in today's society wouldn't do the things Martin Luther King .Jr would do because even though he used peaceful resistance many would not have been able to keep there composer.it was a tough battle to win and a ard battle to fight but in the end it all payed off.