On-Line News of the Goodenough
Community System:
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The American Association for the Furtherance of
Community
Convocation: A Church and Ministry
Mandala Resources, Inc.
Sahale Learning Center
The EcoVillage at Sahale
January 16, 2013
Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968
The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to
justice, peace and brotherhood.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.
John L. Hoff
On my birthday in 1989 I was given a recently published anthology of Martin Luther King Jr.’s
writings. He has now been dead longer than he lived, yet the impact of his life lives on. His
message praises the human struggle for freedom, recommends non-violence, guides racial
integration, and affirms human brotherhood and sisterhood. The anthology given me was
titled, “A Testament of Hope.” For the next year I began my week with reading from this book
edited by James M. Washington. It was dedicated to Bishop Desmond Tutu, and the quotation
from Bishop Tutu begins the book: “The only solution to South Africa’s crisis is for whites to
accept blacks as human beings.” In 1968, MLK Jr. was shot, I was teaching at a university in the
state of Oklahoma. I heard the news of his death on my car radio and rushed to my television
for more information. I was devastated and unprepared for my visit to the university campus
where within minutes I was hearing comments to the effect that Martin Luther King Jr. had
failed to see that he too was a violence prone person and that he got what he deserved. At that
time in the state of Oklahoma I had conversations with a variety of people who questioned that
black people were human beings. Thirty-five years later Caucasians are in the minority and
people of color are spoken of more carefully, yet Martin Luther King Jr.’s main point is still
questioned—human selfhood is sacred and must be carefully nurtured, taught, protected,
strengthened, and become foundation for human societies.
A book about MLK Jr.’s life’s work published a few years later was titled, “Where Do We Go
from Here: Chaos or Community?” By now I can say I have studied his life and his words, and I
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believe that he was right in declaring that the overall work for people interested in freedom,
justice, peace, and equality involves encouraging community. I have taken encouragement and
guidance from him for my work creating a Goodenough Community. I think it is wise and right
to honor him in the way our country has decided: a specific day to remember him an respect
for the peaceful way he tried to do his work. I also find it important to connect the
organizational process we are now engaged in—Project Renaissance—with his life and his work
to build community.
Our community is engaged in a process of organizational development occasioned by my
retirement, are-contracting with Colette, and the selection of a slate of leaders to guide us
forward. The importance of this kind of work requires us to think more deeply about the
importance of community in our lives, and this is proving to be a good thing for us. I see that
generally we are being inspired to valuing community wherever we find it in society: in families,
neighborhoods, churches, intentional communities and non-profits of all kinds. We have been
an incorporated intentional community since 1981 and were forming in the previous decade.
Since then, hundreds of people have joined us for a while, usually long enough to be re-inspired
by the importance of community in living a good life. Throughout these years I have learned the
importance of a central process which is to avoid personal and social chaos by encouraging
personal and societal integration.
Martin Luther King Jr., a black man, was focused by his times on racial integration. However, he
wrote about a broad range of subjects, and the idea of integration is central to his psychology
of becoming human as an individual, as a family, as community and society. This beloved
community of ours has long encouraged our individual growth through personal integration of
body, soul, and mind. We have also worked to create a culture that promotes understanding
and peaceful debate on issues. We have also encouraged our people to be thoughtful citizens
that encourage integration and peaceful ways. Our community is a small effort by most
standards yet we demonstrate something large and powerful--the will to integrate rather than
to simply suffer the chaos of a increasingly disintegrative society. On behalf of you all I say,
“thank you,” to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is
why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.
~Martin Luther King Jr, Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Dec. 10, 1964
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Announcing . . .
The Annual Organizational Weekend,
March 22 to 24, 2013
Sahale Learning Center
Annual meetings for:
The American Association for the Furtherance of Community
Convocation: A Church and Ministry
Mandala Resources Incorporated
EcoVillage at Sahale. To register, email Kirsten Rohde
([email protected])
Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.
—Martin Luther (1483-1546), Table-Talk
Dashrath Manjhi, the Man who Moved a Mountain
Mousumi Kumar Saha / July 31st, 2012 at 09:07 pm
Submitted by Lisa L. Leibfried
“When I started hammering the hill, people called me a lunatic but that steeled my resolve.”
Dashrath Manjhi
Dashrath Manjhi
Almost five decade ago, a landless farmer Dashrath
Manjhi from Gahlor Ghati, of Gaya (a district of Bihar)
resolved to end the difficulties of his villagers by
shouldering a near impossible task of slitting a 300-feethigh hill apart to create a one-km passage.
His village would nestle in the lap of rocky hills for
which villagers would often face gigantic troubles for
crossing small distance between Atri and Wazirganj, the
outskirts of Gaya town. He started hammering the hill in
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early 1959 in the memory of his wife, who could not be taken to the nearest health care center on
time for the immediate treatment as the nearest road that connected them to the city was 50km
long.
He knew his voice will not create any reaction in the deaf ear of the government; therefore,
Dashrath chose to accomplish this Herculean task alone. He sold his goats to purchase chisel,
rope and a hammer. People would call him mad and eccentric spirited with no idea of his plans.
Unfazed by his critics’ discouraging remarks, Dashrath hammered consistently for 22 long years
to shorten the distance from 50km to 10km between Atri and Wazirganj. The day came when
he stepped through a flat passage — about one-km long and 16-feet wide — to his dream,
‘the other side of the hill’.
After this impossible accomplishment, Dashrath Manjhi became popular as the ‘mountain
man’. On August 18, 2007, he breathed his last after fighting cancer at New Delhi’s All India
Institute of Medical Sciences. He got state burial on the following Saturday evening.
Some invaluable lessons to learn from this Legend
outlookindia.com
1. He never got panicked by measuring the whole task at once; instead, he started keeping his
tiny steps one by one, faced difficulties on its encountering and progressed while solving them
one by one. There is no point thinking much about the task that looks seemingly unconquerable
and impossible; nobody completes them in one step. What matters the most is your small steps
through which you reach there. So focus on your task and accomplish them with great care.
“The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” ― Molière
2. Patience is the greatest virtue that leads us to success. Dashrath Manjhi cut through the hill
for long 22 years. His patience give him the courage to overcome extreme pain, frustration,
disappointments and personal loss.
“Patience. A minor form of despair disguised as a virtue.” Ambrose Bierce
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3. Dream the impossible! Dashrath Manjhi dreamt of making a walkway through two arrogant
and treacherous rocky hills. He planned accordingly, accomplished the task and walked his
dream. He was a legend who taught us to dare to dream the impossible. If you keep working on,
the near-impossible task will seem a lot easier tomorrow.
“Whether an idea becomes a reality or not, does not depend so much on whether it is possible —
but on how great the desire for it is.” ― Edmond Danken Sailer
4. Attitude matters! Don’t ever blame difficulties if you crumble if front of them; it is not the
difficulties but the attitude that lets you down. If Dashrath Manjhi could triumph over
difficulties, it was his attitude that kept him stay focused and going.
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” ― Winston Churchill
5. Stay positive! Your positive thoughts and words initiate you to reach your destiny along with
your own values.
“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words
positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your
behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your
values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.” ― Mahatma
Gandhi
6. Don’t lose heart if people call you mad and crazy for you unique thoughts. The same
people appreciate you, promote you and example your tale for encouragement on successfully
completion of your plans. When Dashrath Manjhi began working on his plan, people called him
mad and discouraged him with impossibilities, but these same people appreciated him and used
the way that he created.
“Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And
don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.” Richard M. Nixon
Read more: http://www.successstories.co.in/dashrath-manjhi-the-man-who-moved-amountain/#ixzz2ICIPCRgv
Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Below is the continuation of a series of articles by Depak Chopra
If you examine the rise of a typical leader, the ability to look and listen decreases as power
increases. That's a trend you need to be aware of. At the outset, a future leader often rises out
of a group to present a grievance or to offer a new idea or way of doing things. Hands-on
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experience motivates him (or her), and the group supports his efforts because they recognize a
need to be fulfilled.
But leaders at the top are often enmeshed in corporate politics and insulated by immediate
aides. The notorious White House bubble that isolates presidents also encloses any leader who
lives inside a small circle. Here are some pointers about looking and listening all the way up the
ladder.
1. Keep your feedback loop large. Leaders and followers co-create each other. There is constant
input and output. If you get input only from your closest circle, you won't be in touch with the
whole picture.
2. Stay flexible. It's not hard to detect when a leader wants to hear only praise and support for
his own ideas. Be flexible enough to allow your core beliefs to be challenged.
3. Welcome criticism and know our opposition. Leaders who rise high often feel insecure about
their position. They are prominent targets for jealousy and attack. So start early on to embrace
other points of view, accommodating them when you can and at the very least listening to
them and taking them seriously.
4. Be good at giving feedback. No matter what face they put on it, people notice praise and
blame. No one is indifferent. Make sure your feedback doesn't demean anyone, and if you are
in doubt about hurt feelings, see the person privately. "Are we okay?" isn't enough. Look and
listen to their personal reactions.
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5. Don't claim a monopoly on the truth. Keep in mind that you do not see the whole picture.
This will instill a desire to hear as many perspectives as possible.
6. In any meeting, never lose sight of the central question, "What do these people need?"
Never leave the room feeling confused about this. Behind every discussion, somebody needs
something.
7. Know the difference between what somebody needs and what they want. We all want more
of anything that is available. But most of the time, what we need isn't clear. Ego and emotions
stand in the way.
This is such an important point that it deserves being expanded. In relation to a leader, a group
of people has individual and collective needs. They tend to overlap, and yet a successful leader
tends to both. Sometimes you have to reach down to one person to provide a specific need
(e.g., President Lyndon Johnson hated baseball, but he went to every game with a prominent
Southern senator because the senator, who chaired a key committee, was a devoted baseball
fan).
Most of the time, however, what counts the most is being able to analyze a group’s need.
1. All groups respond to hope. They need to be told that tomorrow will be better.
2. All groups need to be inspired about what they are doing. This is different from offer external
motivations like money and raises. Feeling worthy is far more important.
3. All groups need to know that their leader is loyal and supportive. If a leader is just passing
through on his way up the ladder, the group responds accordingly. The best leaders take their
cohorts with them as they rise to the top.
4. Insecure groups need to be reassured that they are safe. Any threat such as layoffs, salary
cuts, losing market share, being bought out, etc. must be addressed. The solution that comes
out of the discussion should benefit everyone in the group if possible (as when companies hard
hit by the recession lay off no one but instead provide part-time work to everyone).
5. Groups that are doing well competitively need greater challenges. Their motivation is to keep
proving themselves.
6. Creative groups need new, innovative ideas. Here the leader functions as a sounding board
for any and all suggestions. Suppressing the creativity of any member sends a signal that
creativity isn't valued for its own sake. Such an attitude quickly kills the spirit of innovation.
7. All groups need morale. You need to be open and honest about any person or behavior including our own - that is hurting morale.
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As you can see, the so-called born leader isn't what a group needs. They need a leader who
presides over a healthy, open, expansive feedback loop.
(To be cont.)
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only
love can do that.”
~ Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin
Luther King, Jr.
The deAnguera Blog: Sahale Thoughts
Sahale is quiet. I am the only one here. Well, of course there is Wonton and Earlina, the gray cat who
winds herself around my feet. I felt these photos were very apt in describing my alone meditative state.
Notice I captured a light in both photos.
This is 2013. What changes lie ahead? Isn’t that always the question we ask? I ask it all the time.
Changes. Nothing remains the same. Buddhists would refer to this as ‘impermanence’. I want things to
remain the same but nothing ever remains the same including me. It’s enough to make me feel very
insecure.
Our relations with each other are defined by our Covenant. I believe that will always be.
Does God ever speak? Yes, the Earth and all of us represent the Spoken Word. That is ultimately the
foundation for all we do. This is the deep foundation we all stand on regardless of what happens around
us or what we do. This is the solid rock.
Does Somebody care about us? Yes, I only have to ask my Heart to know that this is true. But it is easy
to forget, especially when things get tough or dicey. What do I trust then? I trust the Divine and know
from my life’s experiences that I was meant to be here.
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We are meant for each other. Humans were never meant to be isolated and alone. Yet this is the
condition for an increasing number of us. I know that I am not strong enough to face life’s challenges
alone and will never be.
The rulers want to keep us separate from each other. That is how they stay in power. We learn to trust
them rather than each other. A growing number of our older people felt we should trust each other back
in the ‘60s which is why lots of communes were started. Most of these communes are now gone but
some are still around.
The Goodenough Community started in the late ‘60s and is still around. We are doing something
RIGHT. Let’s focus on that.
What do we offer? Ourselves. That’s important. Let’s not put ourselves down for that is an insult to the
Divine Creator. We lift each other up and in the process gain the strength we need to face the future. In
our circle we have the power to create. That is part of being human. It’s time I owned up to it. Let us
remember who we really are: Divine, Love, Compassion. We are always these things though they may be
hidden as we struggle with our stories.
These vases were a gift from Ah Lee, a
servant my family had when we were in
Hong Kong. Why were they given to an
11 year old boy? Perhaps they were
intended for the man he would one day
become. A gift from Kwan Yin? I also
have her figurine holding up the Universe
but these vases were a personal gift. A
reminder?
“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever
you do you have to keep moving forward.”
~Martin Luther King Jr.
For Couples Only
Our community has a number of cultural programs—The Conscious Couples Network intends to support all
couples who are serious about strengthening their relationships as a way of building stronger and more
compassionate individuals while also teaching more effective ways to live together. More on the workshop is
attached to this Village eView.
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Improving Marriage and Family Life
By Bruce & Irene Perler
Irene and I are looking forward to a series of gatherings for committed couples offered by John
and Colette Hoff beginning in early February. Over the years of our marriage we’ve used these
couples’ trainings to orient us to the good work of married life, strengthen our resolve to see
past difficulties to solutions, and live into the guiding statement they offer to committed
partners - “The measure of a good relationship is not the absence of problems, but the
way in which a couple works with their problems."
This series will offer a weekday evening as a warm-up, followed by a weekend then another
week day evening two weeks afterwards. I’m appreciating their thoughtfulness in this design
knowing that I’ll often have a powerful experience at a weekend then struggle to bring the
“good stuff” back home to life in our ordinary surroundings.
If you’ve been to such a weekend guided by John and Colette Hoff, you already know about the
transformative power I’m pointing to and if you’ve not tried yet, then I strongly encourage you
to give them a call and ask more questions to help get yourself there. There is nothing like it - a
room full of couples lead by highly skilled and experienced trainers; honestly sharing their joys,
pains and efforts to improve, inspire and support the work of making an ever-better
partnership. There will be an atmosphere of lightness of mood and even humor that grows out
of non-judgment and hopefulness. It’s just really true that being in this setting, hearing others
stories and finding our own difficulties to be mostly common and solvable is hugely comforting
and relieving.
Please see the details in this eView for more on the couples series and feel free to call us with
any questions you might have. Bruce Perler – 206.419.8361 / Irene Perler – 206.419.3477.
Programs & Events that are being offered in the Goodenough
Community System 2012
(For more information on any of these events and programs, go to
www.goodenough.org)
Presenting Our Cultural Programs
For the Goodenough Community, cultural life is an arena for creative expression. All programs
and events are open to the public and we welcome your interest and participation.
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The Conscious Couples Network presents:
A Series-Event for Couples
John and Colette Hoff teach, train, and counsel from what
they know to be true, having tested ideas and practices
for decades in their own relationship and in workshops
like this one. Having utilized them in our network
trainings many times, we can say with assurance: “They
understand relationships—marriage and family—and
their ideas and methods work! An email to [email protected] will let them know of your
needs, questions, and your intention to attend a workshop that will change your life!
Bruce and Irene Perler, co-leaders, Conscious Couples Network
Any previous reference to this workshop has emphasized” improving marriage and family life;”
however, as we have researched literature and talked to potential registrants, we are focusing
now on the importance of simply being friends to each other. When we emphasize friendship
as the essence of contemporary understandings of “marriage,” we notice that couples who are
happiest about their lives and their relationship underline the importance of friendship.
Friendship values kindness, reliability, integrity, and closeness or intimacy. we envision a series
of experiences for couples that allow them to improve their friendliness. Our personal
experience as friends who are partners in marriage, parenting, and work supports this
emphasis. We are planning a training event that enables a series of experiences where you can
evaluate your friendship, set goals for improvement, and enjoy renewal.
On Thursday, February 7, each couple will be guided in evaluating their current relationship; on
the weekend (Friday evening through Sunday afternoon) February 15 to 17 we will offer
experiences to highlight various aspects of friendship; and, on Thursday, February 28 we will
evaluate progress and support each other in making needed changes. Do you know of other
couples around you who could use this kind of lift?
This series combines three events:
Thursday, February 7, 2013, 7:00 to 9:30 Community Center:
Evaluating your friendship
Weekend, February 15 to 17 Sahale Learning Center
Experiences to strengthen the friendliness of your relationship
Friday, soup’s on at 6:00p.m.; meeting will begin at 8:00. Sunday closure at 3:00
p.m.
Thursday, February 28, 7:00 to 9:30 Community Center
Developing better habits of friendliness
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“A good marriage is not defined by the absence of problems but by the friendly
way partners handle the problems they have . . .” John L. Hoff
It’s About Time …
Joan Valles
When you get to be about age 60 or older, you may begin to notice that time
seems to be speeding up. And you may feel an urgency to accomplish some things
or better understand and accept who you are and the life you have been living.
How are you thinking about time and the end of life these days? Did this past year
go faster then ever and what did you observe about yourself? Is your perception of
yourself changing? When you have an image of yourself, how far back are you
looking?
The Third Age group is for older adults, approximately age 60 and up, who are interested in
exploring questions and issues of the “third stage” of life such as these. By sharing our thoughts
and experiences we deepen our understanding of ourselves and of our friends. We are
intrigued with the issues of aging, living well, and supporting each other in this “third stage” of
life.
Our next gathering is this Friday, March 8, at the West Seattle home of Phil, Joan, and Barbara.
We’ll start at 6 p.m. with a potluck dinner. If you will be attending, please RSVP by email to
[email protected] or by telephone, 206 763-2258. And please call or email if you need
directions. We look forward to our time together!
Women’s Culture
The next gathering of the women’s culture will be
Saturday, March 9 from 10:00 to 2:00 at the
Community Center. And . . .
Save the date: The women’s culture will have a
weekend, May 3 to 5.
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I would like to give you a flavor of our programmatic year. When we met in October and
November, we explored the concept of "the road less traveled" as a metaphor for our personal
path toward wholeness. We noted that along the road we would sometimes experience
vulnerability, and that an especially vulnerable experience is acknowledging our own
brightness. As always, women spoke deeply and personally about their own lives, and their
stories were received with interest and curiosity, along with many "Aha!" moments.
As the year turns, we are continuing to travel together with the metaphor of the road less
traveled, and we are looking ahead to a full weekend in May that will work with the theme of
"Encountering Mystery on the Road Less Traveled."
So, what tools do we need in order to progress along this path of ours? What are practical ways
a woman can grow herself? What are the choices and decisions a woman faces in her growth?
How can a woman be in charge of herself? Can we encourage ourselves to be more proactive?
These are the kinds of practical, real-life questions and conversations we had in January and
March as we prepare to "Encounter Mystery."
Our Saturday gatherings will be at the Community Center: 2007 33rd Avenue South, Seattle
98144
206 323 6782
And our May weekend will be at the community's lovely retreat center, Sahale, near Belfair,
Washington.
Please remember that, although the programs are designed to build on each other, each event
is discrete. Feel free to come when you can, and as often as you want to.
If you have questions, please call me or send me an email ([email protected]). I hope you'll
come! Hollis
The 2013 Human Relations Laboratory . . . August 11 to 17, 2013
Seven Fun-filled Days of Social Creativity & Experiential Learning about Friendship and Effective
Relationship at Sahale Learning Center!
Theme:
Friendship: A High Way to Happiness
In the course of history there is a visible effort to improve the quality of life,
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to civilize and gentle our societies through education and the
the creation of institutions that protect justice and equality, promote healthy ways to relate,
and offer hope for positive change. There have always been wise individuals who advocate for
compassion and freedom. They have spoken words and lived lives that demonstrate a good life
that is available to all who choose it. This improvement has been visualized as a road,
sometimes as a narrow path because this way is neither easy nor quickly discerned. Our Human
Relations Laboratory 2013 will once again refer an idea from Robert Frost, “the road less
traveled” to imagine a higher, better way to live. Our theme this year is Friendship: A High
Way to Happiness . Our community has been studying friendship for a long time. Join us in
experiential learning.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and
convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Keegan Harshman, accompanied by Shaun Fairfield and Paul Rigby, will be playing several shows at
various venues on Whidbey Island in preparation for his journey to Brazil. These three musicians studied
various styles of music together at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California. Keegan and Shaun will
be traveling to Brazil at the beginning of February on a pursuit to learn Choro, a Brazilian form of
improvisational music.
Keegan Harshman – Bass/Pandeiro
Shaun Fairfield – Guitar/Cavaquinho/Pandeiro
Pa...
Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are
searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
B
Biitt O
O’’N
Neew
w YYeea
arr
By Elizabeth Jarrett-Jefferson
H
Haappppyy B
Biirrtthhddaayyss!!
Joan Valles – January 25. Happy birthday, beloved Joan!
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Humor Salad
The Human Cannonball decided he was too old to go on being shot across the circus
arena and into a net night after night. So he went to the circus owner and told him he
was going to retire. The owner cried, “But you can’t! Where am I going to find a
man of your caliber?”
Four people were riding in a train coach. A woman and her beautiful 19-year old daughter
were on one side, and facing them were the army general and his escort, an army private. The
train entered a tunnel, and the cabin becomes dark. A kiss is heard, followed by a slap. The
mother thinks, “That young man stole a kiss from my daughter, and she rightfully slapped him.”
The daughter thinks, “That young man tried to kiss me, and kissed my mother by mistake and
got slapped.” The general thinks, “That young man stole a kiss, and I got slapped by mistake.”
The private thinks, “I am pretty smart. I kissed the back of my hand and got to hit the general.”
Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
And more from Dr. King . . .from the Huffington Post,1/16/2011
Note from the Editor:
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great preacher, orator and writer. He knew the power of words to
challenge and inspire individuals and society. Words lead to actions, and in King's case, words
provided a pathway to racial reconciliation and the cornerstones for building a more just
American society.
These familiar quotes are as relevant today as they were when King first said them. While we
chose these ten, there were hundreds of others equally compelling. We encourage readers to add
their own MLK quotes below.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring. When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from
every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that
day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and
Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at
last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
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I Have a Dream, 1963.
Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now. I speak as a child of God and brother to
the suffering poor of Vietnam. I speak for those whose land is being laid waste, whose homes are
being destroyed, whose culture is being subverted. I speak for the poor in America who are
paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption in Vietnam. I speak
as a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands aghast at the path we have taken. I speak as an
American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative
to stop it must be ours.
The Trumpet of Conscience, 1967.
Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for
man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man
must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation.
The foundation of such a method is love.
Nobel Prize acceptance speech, Stockholm, Sweden, December 11, 1964.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love
can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies
toughness in a descending spiral of destruction ... The chain reaction of evil -- hate begetting
hate, wars producing more wars -- must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of
annihilation.
Strength To Love, 1963.
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it
must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign
that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of
segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with
piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with
one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."
Letter From A Birmingham Jail, 1963
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!
I've Been To The Mountaintop, 1968
A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on
programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.
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Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967.
You know my friends, there comes a time when people get tired of being trampled by the iron
feet of oppression ... If we are wrong, the Supreme Court of this nation is wrong. If we are
wrong, the Constitution of the United States is wrong. And if we are wrong, God Almighty is
wrong. If we are wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a utopian dreamer that never came down
to Earth. If we are wrong, justice is a lie, love has no meaning. And we are determined here in
Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs down like water, and righteousness like a
mighty stream.
Address to the first Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) Mass Meeting, at Holt Street
Baptist Church, 1955
Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't
know each other; they don't know each other because they can not communicate; they can not
communicate because they are separated.
Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story, 1958
The gospel at its best deals with the whole man, not only his soul but his body, not only his
spiritual well-being, but his material well being. Any religion that professes to be concerned
about the souls of men and is not concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic
conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them is a spiritually moribund
religion awaiting burial.
Pilgrimage to Non-Violence, 1960
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