thank you Rev. King
Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words were so grounded in truth that they apply throughout time and situation. Yesterday and today I have been reading his words and thinking about how this world can be a better place.
Living in Memphis carries the ever-present burden of knowing that this man was killed here. Several times a year I see the actual balcony upon which he was shot. There is some serious energy in that spot, the kind that makes you stop, and think, and feel. At least it does me.
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
We are falling down on the job set forth by MLK, set forth by the dictates of our hearts, through his words, so few years ago. In this city, in this country, in this world - we must do better.
The tension in this town is so thick you can cut it with a knife, but you need to make sure you have a sharp one. While desegregation happened years ago, this town remains functionally segregated. Last week I went to a neighborhood not two miles from my house and realized how still far apart we are in this city, even though we are neighbors. It made me so sad. It made me want to stop, get out of my car, and talk to people. Ask them how they feel and how they want things to be better in this world - make some kind of human connection. I did not, and today, I wish I had.
This translates to even larger arenas, such as the political landscape in our country, and this vile war we are a part of, and the destruction and killing we so nonchalantly ignore in Darfur.
I don't know about you, I ain't going to study war anymore.
Well, neither am I. My mom asked me the other day how I felt about the execution of Hussein. I once again gave the same answer I give anyone who asks me how I feel about execution - "I do not agree with the killing of anyone, anywhere, for any reason." We say we want peace but we wage war. We say we want peace but we kill. We kill people, we kill animals, we destruct the hell out of such beauty and wonder.
We kill each other's spirit by not speaking up when someone spouts hate. I am so good at telling someone at the dinner table at a family gathering that I find it unacceptable to use a racial slur and would they please not ever do that in front of my child. That always gets an interesting reaction, and I always feel like I come across as the PC police, but my mom taught me to not condone these things with my silence.
I digress, or wander all over this subject, because it all is in the forefront of my mind, today, and really, everyday. Suffice it to say that this is my favorite King quote:
I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.
In the deepest part of me, I know this to be true. I believe that in the deepest part of every living thing on this planet, we know this to be true - we only need sit through the fear of breaking our habits of self-destruction. It is our task here, and now.
This entry was posted on Monday, January 15th, 2007 at 8:31 am and is filed under Journal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
January 15th, 2007 at 9:22 am
I have been crying for this beautiful man a lot this morning. His words and his heart mean so much. If we practice even a little bit of what he was trying to convey, think how much peace there would be.
It is very sad that today in 2007 we have so much hate in our world and in our country. It is so evident here in Memphis with the extreme racial tension, and belief in separateness.
More tears.
I am with you on the killing thing. I wonder how anyone can think that violence is a justifiable means, it's not, and it never will be.
One thing we can all do, is to stop with the violence we inflict upon ourselves in countless ways. Everything starts inside each of us, and when we can stop hating ourselves, then we can truly love.
Love heals, that is certain, and I am all for bringing more of it into this world.
January 15th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Dr. King, is one of my heroes. I think its because he loved God and his neighbor more than he loved himself and his own life. There isn't a week that goes by that I don't wonder if I love Jesus like Dr. King did? If I would be willing to follow my Savior's true example and lay down my life if if were required of me... to resist the evil in this world not with more hate and violence, but with love and selflessness.
Am I a real believer? I know Dr. King was, and is, as he now sees his maker face to face.
Oh man, I made myself cry. This happens often when thinking of MLK or Mother Theresa, Henri Nouwen, of Thomas Merton... or Justin Martyr, Origen, or their pattern Jesus himself. I hope that one day I shall not be ashamed to stand in their company.
January 16th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
It saddens me tremendously to think of that day. Dad and I were in Selma (another hotbed of unrest) and had gone to the Officer's club. There was a Colonel's wife there spouting off about how proud she was to be from the city who kills "......." well I can't even type the vile word she used. I got physically ill to meet face to face with someone who could have such evil thoughts, much less express them verbally. I vowed at that time to teach my children to treat people with kindness on a one by one basis. One person cannot change attitudes on a global basis, but when we can be kind and openminded with each person we meet..then that will make a difference, maybe sooner than later. One never knows how a kindness toward another person shown will be passed forward to the next. And pray fervently for changes in the world.
January 16th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
and that, folks, is my wonderful mother.
mom, i am so blessed to have incarnated as your daughter. thank you for being who you are, and raising me to be who i am. i love you.