Posted on Jan 22, 2026 by John W. Krysko
Service above Self
Blog- 1/19/26 John Krysko
“You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody”
Gotta Serve Somebody– Bob Dylan, 1979
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody”
Gotta Serve Somebody– Bob Dylan, 1979
These opening lyrics from his Slow Train Running album set the tone for reflecting on what
our values are, and what are we serving. Are we serving the Devil or the Lord? One of the
points of this seminal song is that it isn’t really important about our station in life, or even
our life choices. It is about what truly rules us, and where our ultimate fealty lies. These are
questions that are important to ask, and perhaps even more essentially to take as a starting
point for new choices, new directions, new motivations.
The title of this piece is: “Service above Self”. Rotary club members recognize as their club
motto which emphasizes putting community and others’ needs before personal interests,
through unselfish volunteerism. Rotarians engage in tangible expressions of this ideal
through projects such as building homes, providing meals, and more. Their motto grew out of
the first Rotary conventions in 1910 and 1911. I know this first hand as I was a Rotarian for a
quarter of a century and helped as a member and president of a local club in Pleasantville. I
was fortunate to spearhead, in my capacity as president, a feeding project in South Africa
that 20 years later is still operating and providing daily lunches for thousands of children.
This program, called the Lunchbox fund was the brainchild of a young lady from South
Africa by the name of Topaz Page-Green who saw a need and reached out to friends and
businesses to fill it. She was a model, and from a more privileged background, but when she
visited the very impoverished schools of Soweto in the Johannesburg area, her heart was
moved with compassion. She turned that feeling into tangible action, and with the help of
Rotary and her own circle of influential friends was able to create a most excellent model of
service. The children were in the 7th grade (and above). The feeding programs in S.A. at that
time stopped at their age, and many 13 years old were forced to drop out of school and try to
find jobs. Without educational training they most often became statistics in the criminal
system, or worse. Her program has helped many, many thousands find another way.
“Service Above Self” may not always produce such grand outer results, but the rewards are
grand nonetheless. Who can judge the outcome of charitable works? One life saved or
changed can lead to countless more in the future. Growing up I used to read, with deepest
admiration of the lives of secular “saints”- those non-clerical angels among us who often
made huge contributions to the world through selfless devoted service. Clara Barton;
Florence Nightingale; Albert Schweitzer; and in our time such luminaries as Jane Goodall,
and of course Martin Luther King, jr.
made huge contributions to the world through selfless devoted service. Clara Barton;
Florence Nightingale; Albert Schweitzer; and in our time such luminaries as Jane Goodall,
and of course Martin Luther King, jr.
“All gave some, some gave all” is on a sign at the Otis, MA transfer station. It is on a trailer
that sits in the parking lot where regularly recyclable cans and bottles are collected and sent
for redemption, and whose proceeds, which add up to thousands annually, go to support
veterans of all the military service..
Few of us are called to be a King, a Schweitzer et al. However, we all can find points of
service. Every community has its needs, and every community thrives through volunteerism.
It is at the heart of Community. People joining together to help, and to uplift others. I am a
great believer in the power of Prayer. I have been an interfaith minister for well over 40
years, and I have my doctorate on the topic of “Faith”. I am an even greater believer in
putting our good intentions into action. Only then can the fruits of Spirit truly be realized. I
encourage everyone to find some way to “serve somebody”…and I definitely fall on the side
of serving the Lord.
“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t
have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make
your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of
grace. A soul generated by love.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Love, John🙏
