On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I thought it would be appropriate to quote the man himself.
The excerpt below is from King’s essay, “An Experiment in Love”, which discusses the place of love in nonviolent resistance. It is interesting to read these words and consider how timeless the thoughts are in reflection of world news and current affairs.
Love as agape seems an impossible feat no matter what our circumstances, whether it be in the workplace, on the bus, or just being a good neighbour. Agape is described well by MLK, as being something beyond us, yet also sought and attainable in all our relationships. Leadership should model it, we should all seek it, and everyone needs it. But we do much to restrain it. We trouble ourselves to separate it from our daily interactions and we do all we can to not disclose our need for it. This creates a constant chess match of forcing an unbiased love into our lives while withholding it so we do not appear needy or weak.
We are funny creatures this way. Much of our troubles with communication and community in life all seem to stem from not getting what we need to give.
Lead Freely 