PEBBLE
Be loving enough to absorb evil, and understanding enough to turn an enemy into a friend.
-Martin Luther King, Jr., shared by Bill in North Carolina
BOULDER
I often remind myself of something the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that helps me focus: ‘Don’t let them get you to hate them.’ When they do, I lose me, I lose my center and my goodness, which will be needed for the hard work ahead…
~Anne Lamott, shared by Bob in Michigan via this column
PONDER
Way back in the early days of these Ripples emails, we decided that we’d use the third Monday in January to reflect on Dr. King’s wisdom (Here’s an archive of 20+ past Ripples issues that quote or mention Dr. King).
Today’s pebble was not pulled from one of Dr. King’s many inspiring speeches. Instead, this was one of several pieces of advice he compiled in late 1956 after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that bus segregation was unconstitutional. The list of Integrated Bus Suggestions clearly reflected his strong belief in the power of nonviolence for “achieving reconciliation and social change.”
Signaling an end of the year-long bus boycott in Montgomery, AL, the pamphlet encourages riders to assume good intentions and to lead with “calm dignity.” Given the historical lack of dignity shown to an entire race for the duration of this country’s existence, it is hard to imagine how so many remarkable humans accessed the heart space to practice nonviolence under these circumstances. And yet they did.
It is also beyond my capacity to conceptualize how Dr. King would have us navigate these unpeaceful times in a nonviolent way. Still, I think we can pay tribute to him and all those who believed in his dream to seek our own combination of patience and persistence as we determine when we need to sit down and listen/reflect and when it is time to stand up and speak/act.
Peace,
Paul
P.S. I stumbled upon this informative article while assembling this week’s Ripples.