In tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, we would like to share an excerpt from "The Drum Major Instinct," a 1968 sermon given by Dr. King which is now being featured on The King Center's website.
The text of the featured audio excerpt follows:
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. (Amen) 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, (Everybody) because everybody can serve. (Amen) You don't have to have a college degree to serve. (All right) 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. (Amen) You only need a heart full of grace, (Yes, sir, Amen) a soul generated by love. (Yes) And you can be that servant.
To service. And, to greatness.
Onward!
To be directed to the audio excerpt on The King Center's website, please click on the following link: http: //www.thekingcenter.org/