Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. - Creativity, Love and Dr. Martin King, Jr.

http://zenstorming.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/creativity-love-drmartinlutherking/

Creativity, Love and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Posted by Plish on January 20, 2009

 

We often think of creativity and innovation in terms of the needs of business.  Yet, in everyday life, people are continually being creative, risking and innovating.  This type of daily creativity, driven directly by the needs of others can result in powerful innovation and the betterment of humankind.

This beautiful story of graciousness is about a man, who upon seeing a guest at his table eating peas with a knife, also eats peas so as not to make the guest feel badly. 

What the man in the story did was more than graciousness, it was  Love - a profound, deep act of love that was willing to break rules of etiquette so that the other person would feel acknowledged, respected…

… loved.

Dr. Martin Luther King (whose birthday we celebrate) once said of this love in his sermon, “Loving Your Enemies,”

“(this deep love) is something of the understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill for all men. It is a love that seeks nothing in return. It is an overflowing love…”

He uses the word “Creative” and it is fitting. 

There were many ways the man in the story could have taught his family about loving others, about respect, about graciousness, yet in a moment’s twinkling he led by example, in simplicity, by eating his peas with a knife!

Dr. King continued:

“…when you start hating anybody, it destroys the very center of your creative response to life and the universe; so love everybody. Hate at any point is a cancer that gnaws away at the very vital center of your life and your existence. It is like eroding acid that eats away the best and the objective center of your life.”

 Truly powerful words and they should be taken to heart. 

While Love creates an environment of creativity, hate inhibits creativity because it destroys the core of the human which is called to Love.  A person who is diminished in this way is not operating, creating, innovating from a position of power, but from a position of weakness and frailty - the person is no longer being authentic to the depths of human beauty.

When there is a lack of beauty within, the corresponding lack of an authentic generative creativity leads to a world  devoid of innovation, devoid of graciousness, devoid of justice, devoid of peace, devoid of Love.

So next time you’re struggling, lacking in creativity, try digging deep and seeing everyone, including yourself, through the eyes of Love.