MLK: The Drum Major Instinct | The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life| I've Been to the Mountaintop

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The Drum Major Instinct
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

(excerpt)

And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important — wonderful. If you want to be recognized — wonderful. If you want to be great — wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness.

And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant.

(snip)

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say.

http://www.mlkcelebration.com/speech_drummajorinstinct.php

The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

(excerpt)

Somewhere along the way, we must learn that there is nothing greater than to do something for others. And this is the
way I’ve decided to go the rest of my days. That’s what I’m concerned about. John, if you and Bernard happen to be
around when I come to the latter-days and that moment to cross the Jordan, I want you to tell them that I made a
request: I don’t want a long funeral. In fact, I don’t even need a eulogy more than one or two minutes. I hope that I will
live so well the rest of the days—I don’t know how long I’ll live, and I’m not concerned about that—but I hope I can live so
well that the preacher can get up and say, "He was faithful." That’s all, that’s enough. That’s the sermon I’d like to hear:
"Well done my good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful; you’ve been concerned about others." That’s where I
want to go from this point on the rest of my days. "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant." I want to be a
servant. I want to be a witness for my Lord, to do something for others.

http://www.paxchristimi.org/3D_Life.html

I've Been to the Mountaintop
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

(excerpt)

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

http://www.mlkcelebration.com/speech_mountaintop.php