Chapter 1, entitled “A tough mind and a tender heart,” focuses on the Matthew 10:16 passage, “Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” MLK talks about how Jesus asks each of us to be strong-willed and committed in our actions and faith but remain loving and compassionate to others as to what he is. Our God is a merciful yet justifying and compassionate God. He is always fair and earnest but loving in all his ways.
MLK suggests that tough-minded people question why and what they see; they seek justification and ask many questions but never truly love. Soft-minded individuals tend to fear change and believe “the greatest pain is the pain of a new idea” but rejoice cohesion and others as individuals who are equal rather than separate. God is a combination of these two distinguishing characteristics, which makes him so looked upon and extraordinary. With that said, I believe he challenges us each day to be more like him and value each characteristic.
Personally, I can relate more to being tough-minded or stubborn and aggressive. I have never been one who is gullible and does not question what they are being told. I believe in asking questions like why to understand the real reasons and justifications. However, I have noticed consequences of this type of thinking and being so focused on ones' self that we simply disregard others who disagree with our beliefs. This is never a good idea and I believe that I have taken steps to becoming more open-minded by surrounding myself with peers who think different than myself. I used to view people with tender hearts as weak because they were afraid to disagree. But what I have to come realize like MLK is these types of people avoid change and encourage “adjusting.” This is not always a bad thing, because sometimes cohesion is necessary for progression. We must learn to work together and remain firm in our beliefs in order to “be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”
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