It took me two nights, but I finally watched the Obama Center ceremony, and that was with a lot of fast forwarding! The highlight for me was Michelle Obama’s speech, but Barak wasn’t bad either – and the music was – mostly – amazing! The building and mission are stunning, and the thing I got from the entire event was that there are many ways to define greatness, but not all greatness is created equal. We get to choose, most of the time, how to be great in our own lives, and it is important how we do that. And no, this is not about Pres. Obama being the greatest president, although he is usually ranked in the top 10 by presidential experts. Each president – and all of the living presidents were there, with one exception – has had their highs and lows – each one has both excelled and failed.
It seems to me that too many people define greatness by what each person is able to gain financially; how much each person can put in their own pocket. Elon Musk is the world’s first trillionaire – athletes often vie for being the highest paid person in their sport – I even knew a pastor many years ago who loved the idea that he made the most money of all the clergy in his conference. The question I am often asked is how many members mu church has, as if the number of names on a list are what define us. Bigger houses – more expensive cars – finer wines – we define our success by what we can buy. If that works for you, I guess that’s okay, but for me, greatness – success – is more about what I can put in other people’s pockets. And I do like my toys, and I want for nothing – but it is what we do for others, I think, that defines greatness in this life.
When you look at your life, what stands out? What difference have you made? I think about a program that our church started, with the help of a large group, that brings people together to help immigrants learn conversational English. The great thing isn’t that we started it – the greatness is that it has expanded into a broad reaching mission that includes a lot of people and organizations. It is a corny example often used at funerals, but it still has meaning; it isn’t our birth or death that defines us – it’s the dash between them. It doesn’t take a lot of money to bring great things into the world; it takes courage and commitment and the ability to share what we have with others. Greatness isn’t defined by what we put in our own pocket – it is about what we put in the pockets of others who need us. Are you great? You could be. All we need is an attitude of generosity and thankfulness, and the rest will be easy.
Prayer – Holy God, You are great, and You endow us with the ability to be great for others. May our lives mirror Your generosity for others. Amen.
Today’s art is “Greatness” by Linda Dumas Wade.