acceptance

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

- Romans 15:7

 

Today we celebrate the birth of another King – Martin Luther King Jr.

Note – his actual date of birth is January 15^th, but nationwide we celebrate him on the 3^rdMonday in January.

King was a Baptist minister, a leader in the civil rights movement.

There are so many quotes attributed to Dr. King, but I would say that his underlying message was one of love.

 Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Faith was not something new to Dr. King, both his father and his maternal grandfather were clergymen, but in reading his life story we find that there were moments in Dr. King’s life where he doubted religion, it was not until his last year of college in fact, that he chose to go into ministry.

Dr. King’s most famous speech is undoubtedly his “I have a dream” speech, delivered at the March on Washington in 1963:

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still 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 one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

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.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

Dr. King was speaking about events that were taking place in the racially charged 1960’s, but stop and look around you today, nearly 60 years later we are still a broken nation.

We can look in the speeches of Dr. King, other leaders and yes, especially in the Bible, and see that we were created to love, to accept others, because that is pleasing to the Lord. 

Think hard on your words and actions, do the exemplify love and give glory to God?

 

#dailybreadbykitty