This week I am thinking about being good.
And, all the ways I was taught to be good.
A good child.
A good brother.
A good student.
A good person.
A good Christian.
And what it meant to be good.
Respectful.
Considerate.
Hard working.
Doing my best.
All important attributes. Ones which, by and large, I still value.
But, alongside all I was taught is this reflection by John Lewis.
United States Representative.
Civil Rights Leader and Activist.
Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
As a part of the speech he gave to the graduating class at Bates College in the spring of 2016
he said this:
“It was Dr. King who inspired me to stand up, to speak up and speak out.
And I got in the way.
I got in trouble.
Good trouble, necessary trouble.”
Good trouble.
Two words, which given all I have been taught about being good, don’t belong next to each other in the same sentence.
And, yet…
Given the state of our nation and world and what is at stake I think I have some unlearning/relearning to do.
Lee Robbins says
October 13, 2017 at 9:46 amMakes one stop and think about values.
Thank you