Living with Rudyard Kipling's Immortal "If" - Part Two

Living with Rudyard Kipling’s Immortal “If” – Part Two

Reputed to be a racist and scorned incessantly by literary critics, Kipling alludes to inherent worth of all people.  If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with kings nor lose the common touch.  Celebrity, fame and fortune easily deceive a man into believing that laws no longer apply to him.   He assumes extraordinary money and privilege automatically exempts him from limitations of common mortals. Political scandals over the last three decades reflect loss of virtue in several public servants as they ascended great heights of power.  One former U S senator and presidential candidate was caught in the midst of marital infidelity on a boat named Monkey Business; believing his good deeds overshadowed personal and moral indiscretions.  Another politician concluded his position exempted him from scrutiny relating to a personal moral lapse in the hallway of a government building.  Some local, state and federal officials justify their acceptance of bribes as supplemental compensation for public service.  These men and woman no longer see their dealings as criminal, unethical or immoral.

Additionally, many of them no longer care to relate directly with average voters who elect them.  They seek entrance to celebrity circles in Hollywood, Wall Street and television networks.  At athletic events, they sit in boxes rather than average seats.  They dread perennial barbecues, main street parades, football tailgating and other common activities.  Irreversibly, the twenty-first century ushered in the phenomenon of the celebrity preacher who thrives on publicity equal to a blockbuster movie star.  One of these pastors who reached an agreement relating to sexual harassment with several men in his congregation proudly told a reporter, “I’m not some little Baptist preacher dedicating babies and baptizing members.  We deal with the White House here.  I’m on the phone with the Prime Minister of England.”  This man’s notoriety convinced him, though he had become the biggest example of everything he opposed, it did not matter because his good deeds.  Incredulously, he assumes people would disregard his pedophilia and sexual impropriety!  Another celebrity pastor who abandoned his congregation at the height of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana, justifies his extravagant lifestyle because of his unrelenting work ethic on behalf of his people.  Summarily, these politicians and preachers discard common touch in exchange for prestige and privilege. 

Nonetheless, Kipling’s words allude to intrinsic worth of all people.  Retaining the common touch necessitates seeing all people as worthy of dignity and respect.  Programmatically, politicians strive to remove systemic barriers preventing each person from actualizing his gifts and natural endowments.  Assuredly, the content of a person’s character not the color of his skin or any other external factor should determine the heights of his achievements.  Pastors have a sacred obligation to encourage and empower congregants with the Word of God and spiritual disciplines in discerning their mission.  Kipling’s adage transcends historical and traditional barriers of race, creed, color, ethnicity, sex, class or any other barrier humankind constructs to devalue and demean individuals.  Whereas each past and contemporary civilization practices stratification, Kipling, though a creature of his historical moment and guilty of racial myopia, challenges humankind to focus upon individuals.

Finally, Kipling cautions readers about “Triumph” and “Disaster” which he characterizes as impostors.  If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.  All daily experiences have hidden lessons in them.  In triumph, a man is most susceptible to ego inflation.  Easily, he convinces himself that he is the reason for his success.  He fails to see God’s providence and faithfulness.  He further does not appreciate contributions of his circle of relatives and friends whose wise counsel, affirmation and love empowers him toward his dreams.  Inevitably, he overlooks someone who plays a critical role in strengthening his character.  A “most valuable player,” in celebrating triumph of a championship victory, speaks in terms of “we” instead of “I” in explaining the win.  Lessons of humility, graciousness, sportsmanship and other qualities emerge when a man balances triumphs with maturity.

Conversely, a man cannot permit disasters to defeat his spirit and conquer his soul.  Myriad victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans on 29 August 2005 and Super Storm Sandy in the greater New York and New Jersey region on 29 October 2012 loss of material possession they owned.  Imagine the emotional and psychological devastation that accompanies such a tragedy.  Disaster of this degree could in turn yields depression and disillusionment.  A man may say starting over is not worthwhile.  However, Kipling’s words offer help and hope as he posits “Disaster” is an impostor.  Embedded in the rubble are enduring and eternal riches.  Survivors of those natural disasters, in sharing their reflections, state they learned the value of life and love for the first time.  Obstacles in restoring their lives eventually became opportunities to live.  They but sought ways to be fully alive in their creativity.  Kipling encourages his readers to find hope in every situation; sometimes disaster opens the door to destiny.

Kipling concludes “If” with the promise of inheriting the Earth and achieving manhood.  If a man willingly embraces unconditional self-acceptance and divine self-expression, a happy, joyous and free life are his personal rewards.