Never Give Up

And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

Whoever has learned to be anxious in the right way has learned the ultimate.

Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.

Did you know that for pretty much the entire history of the human species, the average life span was less than thirty years? You could count on ten years or so of real adulthood, right? There was no planning for retirement, There was no planning for a career. There was no planning. No time for plannning. No time for a future. But then the life spans started getting longer, and people started having more and more future. And now life has become the future. Every moment of your life is lived for the future—you go to high school so you can go to college so you can get a good job so you can get a nice house so you can afford to send your kids to college so they can get a good job so they can get a nice house so they can afford to send their kids to college.

In a fragmented world, we want our lives to matter. And one important way we judge that is by our work. If you are a carpenter, a teacher, a nurse, or a coach, you have a good idea at the end of each day what you achieved. You built a wall, showed kids how to do long division, eased the pain of the sick, helped your players win. If you are in the arts, it’s much more difficult to measure your accomplishments.

Recognizing and acknowledging quality is one factor here. Connection with others is just as important. Once upon a time, there was no difference between a bricklayer and a composer. All work was an offering to the deity, and thus, all work had equal meaning. But in the twentieth century that changed and art came to exist for its own sake.

The issue is meaning—or rather, the lack of it.