The Daniel Dilemma – Part 1

The following contains excerpts from the book, The Daniel Dilemma (The Moral Man In the Public Arena) (Peggy Stanton).

At our music school in Midland, Texas we believe that music is more than sound, it is relationships.  In the study of the subject of Leadership, relationships matter, and how integrous our relationships are become the foundation upon which all leadership is built.

“What is The Daniel Dilemma?  Very simply, it is the dilemma of the principled man in the public arena, the tension between personal morality and the possession of power.  In the Old Testament, the story of Daniel is the story of man’s relationship to power and the Creator of power…The king’s authority exists only by a grant from God.  If the kings abuse their power, it will be taken away from them…Daniel’s faithfulness to Go0d did not remove pressure from his life…But never did Daniel defect to mere earthly authority.  Never when his power was taken away, as in the lion’s den, did he cease trusting God.  As a result, he always survived the circumstance.  Today, swimming in an unending stream of scandalous headlines about public figures, we find ourselves wondering if Daniel was the last man to resolve his dilemma in favor of morality…What emerged was a book…stories, amazingly varied but remarkably striking in some similarities…All have achieved worldly success.  Most have been recognized as leaders of their fellows.  All of them believe in God…Ultimately, each was able to see his crushing letdown as a disguised benefit, a refining, a shaping, a honing of themselves, an occurrence that was inevitable and necessary for their betterment…The can accept the fact that, no matter the evidence, without supernatural aid from the Almighty, man struggles hopelessly with his existence.”

We believe, at our music school in Midland, Texas that the study of music and the arts fosters more than artistic disciplines but rather is foundational in the development of life-skills and character traits in things such as patience, perseverance, courage, poise, empathy, listening skills, and so much more.

This book shows several lives of public figures in the author’s generation (the 1970s) in America, going into detail in their struggles of leadership and their faith in God through the difficulties they faced.  Although the book is dated, it gives clarity on many issues facing today’s leader in the public arena.

1. Andrew Young
   1. “‘The thing that made it possible for Martin (Luther King, Jr.) to lead,’ says Andy, ‘was that he was so far above everybody else in terms of national prestige that nobody could afford to compete with him.  But even with him, they all tried.  I mean there were such strong egos…I could handle things administratively with him being the person out front, but there was almost nobody else for me to work with.’  Young was face now with a decision as to where to take Marin Luther King’s goals for the black people.”
   2. “I just sat out there, looking form the top of this mountain at all of these green fields and valleys and other mountains and it occurred to me that everything works much too well about his universe and that somebody had to do all this and that the same Person who created this whole universe also created me and just like everything out there has a purpose, I must have a purpose, too.”

At our music school in Midland, Texas we encourage students to look within themselves to identify their purpose in life.  As teachers we endeavor to help them discover their unique strengths and potential.

1. 1. “Signing on with Martin Luther King meant more than righting the wrongs against the black man in the South; it meant a total commitment to accomplishing those ends nonviolently, no matter the personal risk…If volunteers could not respond nonviolently to violent situations, they were not allowed to march.  Finally they were required to sign a ten-point pledge, which included among its ‘commandments’ promises to:
      • Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.
      • Pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.
      • Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love.
      • Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all men might be free.
      • Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.
      • Seek to perform regular service for others and fro the world.
      • Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue and heart.
      • Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.
      • Follow the directions of the movement and of the captain on a demonstration.

Every organization has its tenets to be adhered to, and at our music school in Midland, Texas we encourage students, as well as all parents and teachers, to give everyone respect and the opportunity to grow.

1. 1. “Young’s decision to run from Congress seems to have been engineered by someone’s design other than his own…Young was defeated, but undismayed, in his first bid for congress.  ‘I wasn’t at all depressed or discouraged.  When I decide, I’m supposed to do something, then I just keep on until I do it….I just keep on until I find a way to make it work.’  In 1972 it ‘worked,’ making Young the first black congressman from Georgia since Reconstruction days.”

At our music school in Midland, Texas we believe in the enormous potential each student has to lead a life of significance and to make a difference in the lives of others.  We are honored to be a part of their developmental journey toward success.

1. 1. “Andrew Young seems disinclined to want to forget where he came from or to whom he owes his dues…Everything good I do is because I’m in tune with God.’  He publicly acknowledged his debt when he was sworn in as the first black Ambassador to the United Nations, a milestone never imagined when he left the sidewalks of New York to battle the backroads of segregation.  Then, in Jean Young’s words, ‘All we wanted was the right to vote and the right to sit in the front of the bus.’  It was ‘inconceivable’ that, scarcely a decade removed from a dinner denied at the Holiday Inn, the Youngs of Georgia would stand in the East Room of the White House before an integrated throng of admirers and hear a southern President of the united States proclaim a black man the ‘finest public servant’ he had even known.”

Every student has profound possibilities before them, waiting to be discovered, and it is our honor at our music school in Midland, Texas to help them find their path to a successful life and a positive influence in society.