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A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 


Heroes of Positive Change - 15 Jan 2006
By Mary T. Hoffman

The fact that today is Martin Luther King’s birthday and tomorrow, Monday the 16th is an official holiday, got me to thinking about people who step forward, out of the crowd, and try to make changes.

It seems as though most people who have tried to make the world a better place for others have opened themselves up for lots of criticism and hatred, as well as praise and love. Martin Luther King was no exception.

Very often the ones who criticize are those who are too lazy or fearful to do anything positive, but can’t wait to jump on someone who is brave enough to speak out for positive change. This is as true today as it was in ancient days.

I was thinking about the ancient philosophers, the prophets of the Hebrew Bible, the Christian martyrs, even writers and poets – all those who are mocked, ostracized, or persecuted while they are living. Years later they are honored by many of the same types of people who had done the persecuting and who continue at the present time to fight progress. In that way, history just keeps repeating itself.

Fear of criticism is a very powerful incentive for keeping the status quo. Theodore H. White, an American political writer (1915-1986), really “hit the nail on the head” when he said, “To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most of the people you see every day, is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can have.”

Go on to: Junk Mail, Junk Science, and Eggs - 16 Jan 2006
Return to: Jenny Moxham – A True Hero - 14 Jan 2006
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