Happy MLK Day

I was thinking about the MLK service, put on by the Consultation of Religious Communities, that we had at St. Mark's last night. Wow. I have to admit, I've never attended one before, so I didn't really know what to expect.

In case you missed it, there were over 200 people from many faith backgrounds, Islamic, Jewish and Christian. There were speakers, music and performances from a variety of groups, including the St. Mark's Chancel Choir, a mime act from Gospel Ministry Explosion, the Kayros band as well as many others.

The Youth of St. Mark's were able to contribute in several meaningful ways, including a skit that demonstrated part of the scripture of James. "Don't ask me how it's going, ask me what I'm doing for others!" The skit was very well received, and they all did a great job! Youth also served as ushers and greeters, and even sang with the choir. I have to say, the part of the night that made me the most proud of the Youth of St. Mark's was the way they welcomed visitors at the door. Everyone was smiling and enthusiastic and they really took their jobs seriously. I love that the Youth were able to represent the church to our friends and neighbors, because, who better!?

I was touched by the reading from Dr. King's Speech/Sermon where he intimates the "An individual has not begun to live until he can rise above the narrow horizons of his particular individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. And this is one of the big problems of life, that so many people never quite get to the point of rising above self. And so they end up the tragic victims of self-centeredness. They end up the victims of distorted and disrupted personality." This is why we (the Youth Group) need to stay involved in our community. This is why we go on mission trips to places like Detroit, and Tennessee and Cincinnati. We are going out and experiencing first hand what it is like to be the "other," and what it is like to focus on someone else for whatever period of time we can manage. It is my hope that by meeting people with lives so different (but truly, not that different) that we will gain new perspective on the world; that we will avoid the temptation to label the "other" as bad or weird and therefore we will lose that "self-centeredness" that Dr. King describes.

What a great night. It was a long service, to be sure, and I don't blame those who didn't make it all the way through, especially on a school night, but by the end of it, with the entire congregation singing "We Shall Overcome" while swaying hand-in-hand it was invigorating! So much so, that I went home and wasn't able to sleep until almost 11:00 PM, which is late for an "old" parent of young children like me. The only question I was left with was: "Do we really have to wait a whole year before we do it again?"

Blessings,
Rob