I Have A Dream

Today marks 40 years after the passing of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a name synonymous with the Civil Rights Movement in America. There’s a James Taylor song of which I can’t recall the name, but it starts out “Let us turn our thoughts today, to Martin Luther King and recognize that we are all men and women, living on the earth, ties of hope and love, sister and brotherhood.” One could debate how powerful and influential the life and legacy of Dr. King would have been had he not died tragically, his life cut short, but I think the reality is that in his death he accomplished more for the cause of justice and equality than anyone would have ever thought. The challenge for me and perhaps you today is to continue to embody the principle of racial equality in my daily life. Dr. King’s dream of harmony and peace are not something I strive for because of his influence or other leaders of the Civil Rights Era, but because it is a matter of biblical faithfulness to live in harmony with people regardless of racial or ethnic differences. At times I am confronted with the sin of racism that creeps into my own heart and life…it is then that God reminds me that “we are all one in Christ Jesus.”