I step out into the blue-gray dawn and see that a blanket of snow has covered the brown earth. The beauty and purity of the snow fills my heart with hope as I face this new day.
Today we honor Martin Luther King Jr., five days after our nation's capital was stormed by an angry mob, many of whom were members of White Supremacist hate groups. There is fear and despair on both sides of the political aisle, as we prepare for the inauguration of a new president. We see a country divided and families torn apart by differences of opinion on how to move forward.
But move forward we must, and Dr. King's messages of forgiveness, peace and grace are vitally important for us to reflect on as we celebrate his life today:
“Let us not despair. Let us not lose faith in man and certainly not in God. We must believe that a prejudiced mind can be changed, and that man, by the grace of God, can be lifted from the valley of hate to the high mountain of love. Let us remember ... we must have love, compassion and understanding goodwill for those against whom we struggle, helping them to realize that ... we are not seeking to defeat them but to help them, as well as ourselves. God has a great plan for this world. His purpose is to achieve a world where all men will live together as brothers, and where every man recognizes the dignity and worth of all human personality.”
-Martin Luther King Jr., A Christmas Sermon on Peace,” delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Dec. 24, 1967.
We do not despair, because we have hope that through faith and by the miracle of grace, there might be peace and healing in our hearts and on our planet. Hatred and anger, born of fear, can be overcome with love and compassion. May this be our prayer for today.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through
faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by
works, so that no one can boast...Ephesians 2:8-9
No comments:
Post a Comment