Dreamer's Disease.
"If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective."
Christmas sermon, Atlanta, Georgia, 1967.
To a poet, and unknowing lyricist: The marching band, born in a man.
Today is a day we remember the undying power of words. Martin Luther King, Jr. is an icon not only to a generation of Americans seeking equality, but to Christians seeking peace in a turbulent time. We may not have the lines of segregation or the threat of oppression—but sometimes we still see the outline of our history. Sometimes our hearts and faith are challenged as we see people being killed by ISIS for faith or nationality, journalists censored, and freedom threatened. Even in our time there is a reason to march.
King’s, “I Have a Dream” speech is a constant reminder of what one person’s idea can do. When King’s brothers and sisters were being oppressed due to the color of their skin—they chose to rise above. In the midst of darkness, they remembered their great hope: their future.
“Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace.” –Psalms 37:37
This is the same idea Christ acted out on earth. In the face of injustice he was not silent, yet he acted out of love not power. His display of patience in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46) challenges us to cling to the will of God in prayer. His call for us to turn the other cheek in Matthew (Matthew 5:39) teaches us to be humble when we want revenge. Never does he ask us to be silent, but He does ask us to come with peace—a request foreign to the world we live in.
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” King knew that the right thing would take time. Many around him had tried to gain freedom through violence, status, and force—each proving powerless to change the minds of leadership. Yet, peace and patience—the unlikely combination—served as substitutes for King's caffeine. He was hungry for change, but hungrier for a world where people took a longer look than the color of one's skin.
With Christ as our example, we press on towards everyday life with a unique outlook—peace. It does not mean sitting down. It does not mean being neutral. Christ went to the sinners, to the sick for they needed His healing. We are called to the same struggle. It is evident in the life of Martin Luther King Jr. that our simple lives often call for great truth. The question is: are we willing to march? It may be a foreign language, it may be a job in a big city, it may be teaching children—our marches all take different forms. However, we stand for the same reason. We stand for the reason King made himself a target during segregation. We stand for what led Jesus to the cross.
King’s eloquent speeches and gentle nature won a nation. However, his dedication to peace won him freedom. Anyone could have stood up and said, “This is wrong. I will not let it continue.” Many people do this very thing. However, what we learn from King is that what is right needs little explanation. Sometimes all it takes is one man saying he has a dream to make world leaders listen. Sometimes all it takes is one person bringing hope to make the darkness fold.
Today we are thankful to God for a reminder of what can be done when we actively seek good. No amount of segregation can keep us from our great hope. King marched for his children; will we march for our Father?
He has a dream.
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
-Matthew 28: 18-20
"Hands to the Heavens, no man, no weapon
Formed against, yes glory is destined
Every day women and men become legends
Sins that go against our skin become blessings
The movement is a rhythm to us
Freedom is like religion to us / Justice is juxtaposition in us
Justice for all just ain't specific enough
One son died, his spirit is revisitin' us."
— Glory, John Legend
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