Whether or not
you practice the Christian faith or consider yourself a religious person, a
study of Dr. Martin Luther King’s talks offers an insight into the social and
political climate of the time he lived. Dr. King preached his sermon, A
Tough Mind and a Tender Heart, in 1959 at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery,
Alabama. In admiration of his
timeless insight, and simultaneous disappointment in our inability to learn
from history, it is as relevant today as it was fifty-eight years ago.
Reverend
King began his sermon with this scripture and built the case that we must have both a tough mind and a tender heart to
have justice and grace in our world. He clarified why each of these traits are
equally vital.
He
described the tough mind as “incisive thinking, realistic appraisal, decisive
judgment… that breaks through the crust of legends and myths, and sifts the
true from the false.” He observed that it
takes effort to practice hard, solid thinking and many people don’t want to
work that hard.
As
evidence of soft mindedness, he cited the gullibility of people to be swayed by
advertising and the biased written word of the press. This has only been amplified. Advertising is
embedded in every virtual interaction and targeted to personal purchasing
habits. Our children have to have the ‘right’ shoes, jeans, and jewelry to be
popular or cool. Social media structures
build echo chambers that shut out “the other” and opportunities to hear
different perspectives. News sources are one-sided and focus on divisiveness to
gain ratings. Quotes and actions are reported out of context, and when the
truth is presented days later, another exciting story overshadows the correction.
His words still ring true: “Our minds are constantly being invaded by legions
of half-truths, prejudices, and false facts. One of the great needs of mankind
is to be lifted above the morass of false propaganda.”
He
went on to talk about the fear of change and how people accept the status quo
and try to preserve sameness. His context was that of segregation. Today’s
context is globalization and the interdependence of local and global
communities. Many cringe at the advancement of technology and international
interaction.
He
pointed to soft mindedness contributing to racial prejudice. He defined
prejudice as pre-judging, based on fears, suspicion and misunderstandings. He told of those who defended segregation
because black people were behind academically, not recognizing that the system
of segregation was the cause of that deficit. He spoke of leaders who made
inflammatory statements that roused the fears and violence of the masses. What
progress have we made?
But
Dr. King went on to say, “Tough mindedness without tender heartedness is cold, and detached. There is
nothing more tragic than to see a person who has risen to the disciplined heights
of tough minded and has sunk to the passionless depths of hard heartedness.”
He
said the hardhearted person never truly loves, but lives in isolation, never
sharing another’s joy or sorrow. Ride a subway, go to a restaurant, look at the
dinner table – how many people are talking to each other and how many are staring
at their device? And studies
say that despite virtual connectivity people still feel lonely.
He
portrayed the hardhearted as self-centered and lacking compassion for others,
not seeing the unfortunate. In our time, how many people are displaced and estranged?
Do the homeless in our communities and refugees seeking sanctuary feel
acceptance and support?
He
depicted them as depersonalizing others as resources of industry, cogs in a
wheel, a means to an end. As technology progresses, are workers being trained
to work in new capacities? With an ever-growing gap in wealth, is income the
dominating measure of success?
The prevailing issue he addressed then was segregation, and yet discrimination persists. He
lamented that the soft minded would acquiesce to oppression. Today’s rhetoric
normalizes hate speech and inequity. He reproached bitter individuals that
would bring physical violence and hate in the name of a cause. And still police
brutality and mass attacks like Orlando exist.
He exhorted his congregation that violence would only bring the
repercussion of chaos. Our current social climate can only be proof.
Dr.
King advocated for the use of non-violent resistance. He believed in achieving
social change through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or
political noncooperation and peaceful insistence. Let us hope that the marches
in Washington and around our country this week reflect these ideals.
Reverend
King declared that the good life demands combining the toughness of the serpent
with the tenderness of the dove. “To have serpent like qualities devoid of dove like qualities is to be
passionless, mean and selfish. To have dove like qualities without serpent like
qualities is to be sentimental, aimless, and empty. We must combine strongly
marked antithesis.”
So
what does this meshing of tough mind and tender heart look like in a modern
world? I submit that it requires personal investigation, critical thinking, empathy,
and civil discourse. Embracing the advantages of technology and progress while
analyzing the impact on humanity. Listening to learn, not just to make our
rebuttal. It means looking for commonalities and seeking solutions together,
even when it’s uncomfortable. And to revisit his words, finding a ‘synthesis of
love and justice which will lead us through life’s dark valleys and into
sun-lit pathways of hope and fulfillment.”
