Keep the Dream alive

Today our nation is observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Some of us are old enough to remember exactly where we stood when we heard the news of his assassination in 1968. Those were turbulent times for all of us in America. Still are, in many ways.

The first official observance of MLK Day was in 1986, but it was not universally recognized by all states until as late as 2000.  

I applaud Dr. King for his insistence upon non-violence when it came to instigating change for racial equality for all people. Dr. King was not a perfect human being. According to the Bible, no one is.  He was a lot like each of us, a mixture of life.  We are all earthen vessels.  

And yet I can never argue with his “I Have a Dream” speech, which he delivered in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. I'm moved by that gripping line:

“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 the content of their character.” 

Some folks will take time from their day to attend special observances; others may only notice that the schools and banks are closed.    Not really sure what I will do, but I do plan to take a moment and think about the content of my own character.   To ponder again that violence against another is never the answer, and that I am proud to live in a nation decorated with a kaleidoscope of color, ethnicity, sexual orientation and nationality.   

Here at Sardis, we are committed to being a community where children and families have the opportunity to participate freely, no matter their background. What matters is the content of their character, not their upbringing or circumstances. This is a responsibility we all share

Seems like the kind of consideration our God offers to us.

“…for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 NRSV

How are you keeping the dream alive?