Dr. Martin Luther King dedicated his life to advancing civil rights and persisted in the face of merciless oppression, hatred, and violence. And, yet, in spite of this, he generously inspired his generation and future generations to reach inside of themselves to unlock the promise of their potential by seeking a purpose-driven life: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”
Dr. King urged us to embrace agape, the highest form of love. He defined agape as “purely spontaneous, unmotivated, groundless, and creative. It is the love of God operating in the human heart”. In many of his sermons, King referenced agape and famously stated, “Love is not emotional bash; it is not empty sentimentalism. It is the active outpouring of one’s whole being into the being of another.” Agape is selflessly sharing of one’s self with a stranger.
At A Sense of Home, we have had the very good fortune of becoming acquainted with Dr. Clarence Jones. Dr. Clarence Jones is famously known for being Dr. Martin Luther King’s speechwriter, personal counsel, advisor, and close friend, who wrote the first draft of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
When Dr. Jones learned of ASOH’s work in early 2020, he shared with us that he believes the work of ASOH is what Martin Luther King Jr called for during his Nobel Lecture on December 11, 1964. The excerpt Dr. Jones pointed to is “Our problem today is that we have allowed the internal to become lost in the external… If we are to survive today, our moral and spiritual ‘lag’ must be eliminated… No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for ‘the least of these’. Deeply etched in the fiber of our religious tradition is the conviction that men are made in the image of God and that they are souls of infinite metaphysical value, the heirs of a legacy of dignity and worth. If we feel this as a profound moral fact, we cannot be content to see men hungry, to see men victimized with starvation and ill health when we have the means to help them. The wealthy nations must go all out to bridge the gulf between the rich minority and the poor majority. In the final analysis, the rich must not ignore the poor because both rich and poor are tied in a single garment of destiny.”
The belief that we are all tied in a single garment of destiny is sewn into the fabric of A Sense of Home. The opening welcome circle that begins every home creation is an opportunity to see, hear, and understand one another. It is a moment to pause and be reminded of our inextricable human connection… as one. That connection — the spirit that flows between us and every other human in the world. When we introduce ourselves and share what is in our hearts, at that moment, we are reflecting back to one another that we are a group, together, here to serve.
A Sense of Home is a space to make empathic connections with others. An experience in how the heart of each of us, gives power to the sum of us. ASOH came to be because there is a great need that the community can meet. How we do the work is as equally important as why.
As we spend this week in reflection on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, we are yet again gifted the opportunity to learn from his great teachings and evaluate how we give can selflessly in order that we might live a more enriched life. We love and embrace the ASOH community for all of the agape love that they unleash every day and we honor and admire all the ways the broader community finds innovative solutions to lift up others and improve their lives. When we do, we improve all of our lives.
