Inspiration rarely arises anew. We often say that it does but only because we do not recognize the fertile ground that has been prepared. The stage has been set by events or actions or words in the distant or not-so-distant past that allows for a glimmer of hope or selfless service to flourish.
To quote Pastor Max Lucado, “confession does for the soul what preparing the land does for the field. Before the farmer sows the seed, he works the acreage, removing the rocks and pulling the stumps…Confession is the act of inviting God to walk the acreage of our hearts…God’s seed grows better if the soil of the heart is cleared.”1 Now we might not always recognize our “confession” but I contend that communal prayer or acts of citizenship (caring for others, caring about others, nurturing others) are indeed forms of confession and prepare us to see hope or perform selfless service when we least expect. I’m sure each of us can look back to such moments. The point of this discussion is to discuss such an event in the fall of 1960.
John F. Kennedy was barnstorming the country in his campaign for the presidency in 1960.2 He had just concluded a third debate with Richard Nixon the previous evening. He was heading to the University of Michigan to continue campaigning the next day. When he arrived on campus at 2 AM (yes, 2 AM), tens of thousands of students were waiting to greet Senator Kennedy. This was so unexpected. And instead of his usual stump speech, he shifted to ask the assembled students what they could contribute instead of what he could promise.
How many of you, who are going to be doctors, are willing to spend your days in Ghana? Technicians or engineers, how many of you are willing to work in the Foreign Service and spend your lives traveling around the world? On your willingness to do that, not merely to serve one or two years in the service, but on your willingness to contribute part of your life to this country, I think will depend the answer—whether a free society can compete.
At a time when he had intended to merely rest before the campaign events of the day, he was now engaged in a call to action. This call to action was the seed from which the Peace Corps sprouted. He was invigorated by the buoyant crowd and was now called to a greater purpose, for himself and for issuing a challenge to the students. In that three-minute speech, he sparked an idea and the crowd subsequently accepted the challenge. A plaque now stands at the entrance to the Michigan Union stating “Here at 2:00 a.m. on October 14, 1960, John Fitzgerald Kennedy first defined the Peace Corps. He stood at the place marked by the medallion and was cheered by a large and enthusiastic student audience for Hope and Promise his idea gave the world.”
To me, this sequence of events is extraordinary for several reasons –
- The raucous welcome inspired the candidate to dig deep and to look for ways to engage these students
- The students saw a “hope and promise” in JFK’s messages across the country during his candidacy, even prior to this speech
- JFK had obviously been mulling over such ideas, and as a man of faith, probably on the basis of “God’s seed grows better if the soil of the heart is cleared”
- His spur of the moment shift to address the students rather than politely excuse himself to get some sleep speaks to the power of human connection
- JFK’s brief but articulate presentation of a greater purpose struck a chord in the early morning of October 14, 1960 for those in attendance and later for over 240,000 Americans3
- To serve others with a greater purpose is indeed our calling in this world
Returning to my initial comments, I would posit that most, if not all, inspirations or inspirational ideas are seeds that sprout from fertile soil. We don’t always recognize our journey that has been preparing and tilling the soil (“removing rocks and pulling up stumps”), but things have been happening. We don’t always recognize when the seeds have actually been planted, either by accident or intent. We don’t always recognize when the germination has occurred. Sometimes others recognize each of these steps for us.
The joy lies in the final recognition of the fruits of our work, the response of others and the eventual product that serves a greater purpose. Selfless service, service that benefits others directly, also benefits the one giving the service. Our lives are enriched in the manifestation of love for others. Our lives are enriched by our service to others and the extension of that service to those directly in our immediate family. Our example exhibits how to be a true citizen, either locally or globally.
We don’t have to have our own October 14, 1960 to be selfless in our devotion to others. But we do need to consciously, when we can, and unconsciously prepare ourselves for such moments. We never know when the next JFK-like event will occur. Preparation is key.
- Lucado M. In the Grip of Grace. Thomas Nelson; 2021. 240 pp.
- Goodwin DK. An Unfinished Love Story. A Personal History of the 1960s. Simon and Schuster; 2024.467 pp.
- https://www.peacecorps.gov/about/history/decades/