“Martin Luther King Jr. was right: ‘Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.’”
In our Quote of the Week, Sargent Shriver summons a formidable peer whom we remember today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On the 57th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination, we choose to honor his legacy of service and of leadership whose ultimate pursuit is that of a peaceful world.
This week’s quote is from Sargent Shriver’s 1986 Speech at the National Conference of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and Staff. The speech is from an era that Dr. King did not live to see. And yet, we can understand why Sargent Shriver would refer to Dr. King. In the speech, Shriver marks the 25th anniversary of the Peace Corps by remembering the organization’s origins:
“We risked everything then in a leap of faith that the Peace Corps would succeed. We risked everything that Volunteers would respond. We were dedicated thus to the pursuit of peace—which means we oppose the idea that war is inevitable! We believe that with God’s help we can get rid of war! We are a Corps, a band of brothers and sisters, united in the conviction that if we work hard enough to eradicate our fears and increase the reach of our love we truly can avoid war—and achieve peace within ourselves, within our nation, and around the world.”
With this description, we are reminded of the values and accomplishments that Shriver and King had in common:
- Both were driven by their profound spirituality and were moved to action by the teachings of Christ.
- Both focused on justice as an ultimate goal, insisting that we could not have sustained peace without it.
- Both championed and won major accomplishments in the area of civil rights by influencing people at all levels of society.
- Both spoke out in opposition to the war in Vietnam, and to war in general.
- Both were, by any measure, architects and influencers of the Great Society.
- Both believed that a kinder, more compassionate world was possible if we all had the courage to lead through service and with love.
On the anniversary of a day that ended so tragically for Dr. King and for our world, let us commit to continuing his legacy, with service, compassion, and love.
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