One Solitary Life

In Martin Luther King's speech The Drum Major's Instinct he recited the poem by James Francis called One Solitary Life. Felt that it described beautifully what credentials one must have to serve and how one life can make a difference. Therefore, today I share this poem.

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office.

He never owned a home. He never set foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He had no credentials but Himself.

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves.

His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying -- and that was His coat. When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as that One Solitary Life.

by James A. Francis

Make new friends, but keep the old

When I was a young girl in Girl Scouts we learned a song the lyrics for which are: Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other is gold. I was reminded of the wisdom of these words yesterday as I had lunch with two people I met over 30 years ago as we served as LDS (Latter-Day Saint) missionaries in Ecuador. We met at my request because of a dilemma I'm facing, and I felt they would likely have some valuable insights--which they did, including connecting me to others.

For every dilemma we face or need we have in regards to our cause, according to the theory of "Six Degrees of Separation," the answer is only 6 people away. US psychologist, Stanley Milgram, created this theory in 1967 which stated that all persons on earth are only separated by 6 people. Even if one chooses to reject the theory as an academic urban legend, there are some worthwhile ideas within the theory to consider.

Harvey Mackay has written a book called Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty. The message of this book is that we should be building and strengthening relationships--with new and old--before we have the need. Then when we have a need or a concern for our cause, we can contact all these relationships within this network we have built. They might not have the answer, but they can start connecting us with people who do. Thus, the "Six Degrees of Separation" theory goes to work.

The actor Kevin Bacon has built upon this idea and believes that we are all connected to accomplish something good. He even has a website, www.SixDegrees.org, that I invite you to visit to see how to take advantage of this concept to further your particular work or cause.

When we ponder the theory of "Six Degrees of Separation," it is a reminder that this truly is a small world that connects us all, not a big intimidating world.