Rosa Parks died Oct 24 at the age of 92. She became the symbol of what “one person could do” in the face of injustice after refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama . I have grown up admiring her and thousands paid respects to her last week. While being somewhat aware of the support and networking that is often behind “one person’s stand” I am challenged by Paul Loeb in an article written by him to be deliberate in memorializing the work of many in any significant movement. One paragraph captures the problem we have when we create solitary heros:
This conventional portrayal suggests that social activists come out of nowhere, to suddenly take dramatic stands. It implies that we act with the greatest impact when we act alone, at least initially. And that change occurs instantly, as opposed to building on a series of often-invisible actions. The myth of Parks as lone activist reinforces a notion that anyone who takes a committed public stand, or at least an effective one, has to be a larger-than-life figure–someone with more time, energy, courage, vision, or knowledge than any normal person could ever possess. This belief pervades our society, in part because the media tends not to represent historical change as the work of ordinary human beings, which it almost always is.
I think Paul Loeb is onto something here. People, me, my own congregation, may be hindered from doing something significant in life because we miss the invisible army people in the backgroud and we fail to see the hundreds of small decisions that are made by “heroic people.” Life as a follower Jesus is a multitude of decisions made day after day. We must never underestimate the accumulative effect of small steps taken in the right direction. The Apostle Paul encourages the church in Philippi:
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with other in following my example…” (Philippians 3:12-17)
Maturity is marked by the long-view. Maturity recognizes that though we may have to stand alone at times, life is better with a fellowship of committed. Follow this link for the whole article by Paul Loeb, The Real Rosa Parks.
