GARMENT OF DESTINY

Above my desk hangs a photo of my grandfather from when he was two years old. He’s standing in front of the shotgun house where he was born in Excel, Ala., his grandmother to his right and his three older brothers to his left. My grandfather’s mother died young, leaving the four boys to be raised by their grandmother. He would grow up, meet my grandmother, open a grocery store, raise three children and do a thousand other things that make up a life before passing away on July 9,1974. I didn’t know him well — I was four when he died — but even so, his story is my story. The photo reminds me that we are still connected, by DNA and shared history, by places and memories and faith and family.

But who I am extends beyond my family ties. Countless others have affected my life, and my life has affected countless others. My co-workers, close friends, neighbors and others I see around Oak Cliff now play a daily role in shaping my story, and my story shapes theirs.

Speaking to a student group in 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “. . . all life is interrelated, and in a real sense we are all courting an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be.”

Mutuality suggests deeply linked relationships and respect, but also responsibility for one another. It’s the recognition that we need one another.

I believe that in Oak Cliff we see this principle of mutuality more fully at work than in other parts of the city. We value diversity, welcome different cultural expressions and generally want to help and care for one another. But we have a long way to go. We struggle to cross racial, ethnic, economic and lifestyle lines. We struggle to even cross the street. Neighbors often don’t know the people nearest to them. We fail to recognize just how much we need one another, and consequently, we don’t make the effort to cultivate relationships that go deeper than the surface.

Anglican

ALL SAINTS DALLAS / 2733 Oak Lawn / 972.755.3505

Radical Inclusivity, Profound Transformation. Come and See!

9:00 & 11:00 am Sunday Services. www.allsaintschurchdallas.org

Baptist

CLIFF TEMPLE BAPTIST CHURCH / 125 Sunset Ave. / CliffTemple.org

Building everyday people into everyday missionaries for Jesus Christ.

Sunday School: 9:30 am / Sunday Worship: 10:45 am / 214-942-8601

Methodist

KESSLER PARK UMC / 1215 Turner Ave. / 214.942.0098 / kpumc.org

9:30 am Sunday School / 11:00 Worship / All welcome regardless of creed, color, culture, gender or sexual identity.

TYLER STREET UMC / 927 W. 10th Street / 214.946.8106

Sunday Worship at 8:30 am and 10:50 am www.tsumc.org

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

KESSLER COMMUNITY CHURCH / 2100 Leander Dr. at Hampton Rd. “Your Hometown Church in the Heart of the City.”

10:30 am Contemporary Service / kesslercommunitychurch.com

Presbyterian

OAK CLIFF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 6000 S. Hampton Road Sunday Worship at 9:30 am & 11:05 am 214-339-2211 / www.ocpres.com

What can we do? We can pursue new relationships and deepen existing relationships. We can slow down long enough to notice those who seem isolated or hurt and assume a courageous responsibility for helping them. We can give a few hours a month for the betterment of our neighborhoods.

Only together can we wrestle with, discover and celebrate the answers to life’s biggest questions. Why are we here? What does it mean to be human, with respect to other creatures and the environment? What does a just and peaceful city look like? What is the meaning of this story in which we all play a part?

My story is your story, and yours is mine.

Experience St. John’s

Lakehill Preparatory School

Leading to Success. 2720 Hillside Dr., Dallas 75214 / 214.826.2931 / lakehillprep. org Kindergarten through Grade 12 - Lakehill Preparatory School takes the word preparatory in its name very seriously. Throughout a student’s academic career, Lakehill builds an educational program that achieves its goal of enabling graduates to attend the finest, most rigorous universities of choice. Lakehill combines a robust, college-preparatory curriculum with opportunities for personal growth, individual enrichment, and community involvement. From kindergarten through high school, every Lakehill student is encouraged to strive, challenged to succeed, and inspired to excel.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

848 Harter Rd., Dallas 75218 / 214.328.9131 / stjohnsschool.org Founded in 1953, St. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school for Pre-K through Grade 8. With a tradition for academic excellence, St. John’s programs include a challenging curriculum in a Christian environment along with instruction in the visual and performing arts, Spanish, German, French, and opportunities for athletics and community service. St. John’s goal for its students is to develop a love for learning, service to others, and leadership grounded in love, humility, and wisdom. Accredited by ISAS, SAES, and the Texas Education Agency

People

Bob Stimson announced last month he is is stepping down as Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce president after seven years in office. Stimson, a former City Council member and real estate developer, started in his current role at the chamber in 2007. He says he plans to pursue business ventures and consulting.

Oak Cliff resident Jason Roberts attended the President’s State of the Union Address in January as a guest of Congressman Marc Veasey. Roberts, a cancer survivor who lost to Veasey in a 2012 run for U.S. House of Representatives, was there to share his story of success with Obamacare.

Oak Cliff-based filmmaker Daniel Laabs’ short film “Easy” was accepted into the SXSW Film Festival as part of the Texas Shorts competition.

History

A new book from Arcadia Publishing, “Historic Dallas Theaters,” examines Dallas as the show business capital of Texas during the 19th Century. The book includes histories of the Texas Theatre and the Kessler Theater as well as the bygone Rialto Theater, Rosewin Theater, Midway Theater, Wynnewood Theater and more.

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Local Resources TO ADVERTISE 214.560.4203

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

PIANO LESSONS All ages & levels. Over 20 years experience. Oak Cliff area. Call Tim at 214-989-7093

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Fresh farm

Farmer and author Joel Salatin cuts the ribbon during the grand opening of Urban Acres in January. The 4,000-square-foot store and café at Beckley and Greenbriar also features gardens, composting, rain barrels and a chicken coop. Photos by Jennifer Shertzer