Martin Luther King Jr and the Power of Peace

We need Martin Luther King Jr right now. If there was ever a time when folks could use the teaching of this iconic civil rights leader and humanitarian, it is today. King was a stalwart of strength, a resilient man who confronted his own death head on as he fought for the lives and dignity of the oppressed through pacifism.

This was a man who knew his assertion that every human being is owed their humanity would eventually lead to his assassination one dark, dreary night in 1968. It was clear that he knew how his life would end. He even said so in his speeches, the ones that called for the liberation of Black America, but also foreshadowed his own demise. On the eve before he was killed he hauntingly proclaimed, “I may not get there with you. But I want you to know, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.”

In the face of his own death he marched on, proclaiming the power of peace and peaceful protests in a decade that makes the violence and strife we see today look tame in comparison. He insisted we come together even as so many fought to keep us apart. He pleaded to those in power, and prayed to the God that supersedes them all, that we may find our common ground, and foster the respect each person on this planet deserves.

His words will live on forever, even if he could not. Those words ring true and will never be forgotten.

“I have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal…I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character.”

Shockingly, the meaning of those undeniable words are still under attack today, and sometimes, even by those who purport to advocate for social justice. King’s mission was to bring us all together, not to divide us into teams and tribes as so many of today’s ardent political voices seem hell-bent on doing. So on this hallowed day, in honor of this prophet of peace and unity, and in light of the current state of our nation, we ask you to heed this man’s words. Feel his love. Because make no mistake, the message of Martin Luther King Jr is a message of love. Love for his friends and foes alike, love for his nation and every other nation, and a love for all humanity.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day.