Dr. M. L. King

I'm very pleased to see how diverse this nation is becoming. This year many suburban, predomantly white schools are actually celebrating the greatness of Dr. King and his dreams of America's people, despite race, to come together.

One of the news channels here showed the bus load of children at the Black Holocaust Museum viewing the displays and learning what this national holiday is really about. The children were very well versed and seemed to embrace Dr. King's dreams.

We still have a huge gap amongst the races but knowledge helps to heal where we went wrong in our past.

Sugaree, I couldn't agree with you more.

I am in Atlanta where they obviously celebrate him. In fact, I live in midtown, quite close to his church, original home and memorial grounds. They celebrate big here.

Sugaree, thanks for mentioning this topic. Today we had a guest minister who worked with Martin Luther King for a few years before his death. Every Friday he skipped class and went to Birmingham, Alabama with Dr. King to share his message.

He is currently a minister in New York City and continues to share King's dream with passion. His sermon reminded me that in Christianity there are no barriers. God created all of us equal and until we treat everyone with respect we can't have peace. Even people within our own race. There are too many divisions. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why would we want everyone to be like us? What a boring world that would be. We need to embrace all of mankind.

This was our Affirmation of Faith which we recited after the sermon. It made me misty-eyed.

God has created the peoples of this earth
to be one universal family.

In his reconciling love,
God overcomes the barriers between sisters and brothers
and breaks down every form of discrimination
based on racial or ethnic difference,
real or imaginary.

The church is called to bring all people
to receive and uphold one another as persons
in all relationships of life:
in employment, housing, education,
leisure, marriage, family, church,
and the exercise of political rights.

Therefore, the church
labors for the abolition of all racial discrimination and ministers to those injured by it.

Congregations, individuals, or groups of Christians
who exclude, dominate, or patronize others,
however subtly,
resist the Spirit of God
and bring contempt on the faith which they profess.

From the Confession of 1967
Presbyterian Church (USA)

I was reminded that however subtle I am in finding fault with another person, I am disgracing the faith which I profess. If I am a walking commercial for Christianity, I need to continue to make changes in my life.

Looking Up, I'm sure they do celebrate in 'Hotlanta' since the ratio of the people that most benefited the doctor's message is so high.

I am originally from a historically black college town where we celebrated majorly too. We had plays, programs, parades...you name it. It appears that the older we get, the more we can appreciate his message. Although I knew what his message was about during those years, after living life in this divided world, his message is angelic and much appreciated.

Dotsie, I can see why that sermon/affirmation would have you misty-eyed. That was beautifully written. Was it delivered with soulful emotions? However it was delivered, those words were powerful and only a Hitler could 'not' appreciate them. Every combination of how discrimantion henders all parties was touched with that speech.

I didn't even hear or visit a program celebrating Dr. King this year. I was misty-eyed just by looking at the news here in Wisconsin and touched because after all of the years I've lived here, I finally see us (news stations/schools/radio) evolving...actually actively taking a part in closing the gaps that hurt all of us; not just the targeted parties. We still have a ways to go but it's a tear jerker to see the infant steps, finally.

Thank you kindly for sharing it.

Sugaree

[ January 16, 2005, 09:48 PM: Message edited by: Sugaree ]