With this coming Monday January 16 the commemoration of Martin Luther King Day of Service, I would like to share this video of Dr. King’s famous “Drug Major” speech, which makes it so very clear the difference between this national holiday and all others.
Dr. King’s legacy is service, as expressed in this speech. First, he describes the instinct of seeking praise and admiration:
“And you know, we begin early to ask life to put us first. Our first cry as a baby was a bid for attention. And all through childhood the drum major impulse or instinct is a major obsession. Children ask life to grant them first place. They are a little bundle of ego. And they have innately the drum major impulse or the drum major instinct.
“Now in adult life, we still have it, and we really never get by it. We like to do something good. And you know, we like to be praised for it. Now if you don’t believe that, you just go on living life, and you will discover very soon that you like to be praised. Everybody likes it, as a matter of fact. And somehow this warm glow we feel when we are praised or when our name is in print is something of the vitamin A to our ego. Nobody is unhappy when they are praised, even if they know they don’t deserve it and even if they don’t believe it. The only unhappy people about praise is when that praise is going too much toward somebody else. (That’s right) But everybody likes to be praised because of this real drum major instinct.”
But this instinct is not what defines a man or a woman, as Dr. King went on to state.
“And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. 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.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is not a day for contemplation. It is not a vacation day. It is a day to serve—day to help.
Service and help are a theme that runs through all Scientology Scripture and services. L. Ron Hubbard expressed it in these terms: “So the biggest right there is, is not the right to vote, is not the right to freedom of speech or press or religion or anything else. The biggest right there is in human rights is the right to help!”
Scientology Churches throughout the United States will be coordinating volunteer activities on Martin Luther King Day of Service in partnership with other churches, community and civic organisations. We welcome the participation of anyone wishing to make a difference on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and throughout the year.
To locate a Scientology Church of Mission, visit the Scientology Website.
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