Who's serving who?

Last weekend I decided to take a break from the usual scene and head off to Atlanta. The trip wore me out but it was a good one. After checking into my hotel I went looking for a place to eat, and once my stomach quit talking to me, I made my way to the Atlanta Botanical Garden where Bruce Hornsby was playing a concert. The set-up was interesting; he had established the stage in front of the conservatory building, and the lawn out in front of it was where the audience seated themselves.

The concert experience overall was mediocre. Bruce Hornsby's self-deprecation was pronounced such that I could not tell if he were trying to be funny or serious. But he did dispense with the usual programming artists arrange at concerts, saying that he was taking requests. At this the crowd started shouting after every number. Some people started booing after some of the songs because their request was not honored. As the night grew long and more alcohol left the concession stands, the crowd grew more disrespectful, booing more vociferously, growing more restless, and starting to stand and block the view of those who were seated. A group of ladies blocked my view, preferring to dance and chat while Bruce was playing magnificently on stage. I didn't come just to hear live music but to see the artist perform as well. At the very end, the crowd was an even mix of cheering and booing. In my opinion, Bruce Hornsby is too talented a musician to deserve the treatment that he got that night. The idea of hearing his music in the botanical garden was delightful but not delightful enough to cancel out the disrespect displayed by many audience members to the performers as well as to others in the crowd. I left somewhat dissatisfied.

I was not dissatisfied on Saturday morning, however. I visited the MLK Historic Site and was greatly impressed by what I found. Upon entering the park, the path, called the Civil Rights Walk of Fame, contains footsteps of those who "walk in the path of Dr. King." There are also small monuments engraved with his words. I was most impressed with these: "When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love. Where evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men must seek to bring into being a real order of justice." Given the current state of affairs in our nation's history, I found these words very inspiring.

I also found a statue of Gandhi at the site appropriate. Dr. King was of course very much influenced by the teachings of Gandhi. So it did not surprise me to see his statue there. What did surprise me is to see that between a fourth and a third of the park was actually devoted to Gandhi. Not out of place, but surprising.

Those who know me well know how loathe I am to photograph inside a museum, but I just had to make an exception for the cart that carried Dr. King's body during his funeral service. I also saw a film that depicted scenes from his life and the civil rights movement, and it brought me to tears. I reflected on the persecution that my own forefathers faced because of their beliefs, and I recognized many similarities between their struggle and the one led by Dr. King.

After viewing the exhibits I saw a place where visitors could leave some remarks. I thumbed through the pages and found a typical variety, which is to be expected. Some people praised Dr. King for the work that he did. Some insulted his efforts by making insinuations against the President. Some used Dr. King's moral superiority as a platform for racial superiority. But I did find one page that had some remarks that seemed to me to be proper and appropriate. The praise was temperate and confident. It presumed that all were equal, and it made no insinuations about reparations or otherwise returning evil for evil. I was so impressed that I left a few words of my own, praising this writer and extolling the reader to temperance and love while espousing liberty and freedom for all people. When I hear Dr. King's message, this is what I hear.

There were many other things to see at the park, and I was able to take lots of pictures that I have no room for here. But I did want to share one more. This is a view of the church where Dr. King preached along with his father. The congregation still meets today, but there is a more modern building just across the street. I was deeply touched and moved by what I saw and heard at this park. I reflected upon my own life and where I am today, and in so doing the words of Dr. King ringed loudly in my ears -- "The most pressing question of life is this: What are you doing to serve others?"

I guess that was the difference between my two experiences in Atlanta this past weekend. The first was a compilation of people serving themselves, inconsiderate of others in their search of self gratification. The second was a compilation of people coming to learn about and appreciate a single man who gave of himself to serve others, a man who submitted to something larger than himself. His example continues to inspire and ennoble even today, over forty years after his death. And the effect that each of these experiences had on me was as different as night and day. Dr. King's question serves as a great resumen of that difference. "What are you doing to serve others?" It's a question that I think all of us could profit from if we thought about it a little more often. Just exactly who is serving who? Are we insisting that others serve us? Or are we insisting on serving other people?

One more thing: I actually paid out money for the lesser experience. The better experience was completely free.