Let us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King;
And recognize that there are ties between us –
All men and women living on the earth –
Ties of hope and love – sister and brotherhood.
That we are bound together in our desire to see the world become a place in which our children can grow free and strong.
We are bound together by the task that stands before us, and the road that lies ahead – we are bound and we are bound.
Shed a little light, O Lord
So that we can see
She a little light, O Lord
Thanks to James Taylor for trying to put into words what many of us feel in our hearts.
On this day I am not as drawn to the man as I am to what he stood for. In truth we should never be drawn to men. They are men. Human. Mortal. Flawed. There is no denying that the message of Martin Luther King, Jr. is a message still needed today. We have made great strides in many ways… and mere baby steps in others. The colors of our nation are vibrant. Yet small-minded racism lives on.
Racism is fear. Fear that someone else may come along who does things differently that I do. Fear that I won’t understand. Fear that I may be asked to include someone that I would rather keep at arm’s length. Fear of the unknown.
My brother and his girlfriend live in Atlanta. We went to see them over the Christmas holidays. One thing I wanted to make sure my kids saw when we were there was the Martin Luther King Historic Center. I want them to know about the Civil Rights Movement. I want them to know that it is our responsibility to make sure it never happens again and to keep working for the changes that need to be made for all of us to be seen as one. Sisters and brothers. I want them to know that they can make a difference if they will treat people as they wish to be treated. If they will try to feel the pain of others. Be empathetic. I think they are getting it.
re:THINK 
Good thoughts as usual. Most people my age see MLK Day as a day off of school and nothing more. There are even many adults that think the same thing. Public segration may be gone but there is still plenty of racism. If you aren’t what society considers “normal” you are looked at differently and less or more is expected of you. Blacks, hispanics, the mentally challenged, the gifted even are all treated differently by others and even themselves.
Sorry it’s taken so long to get back in touch with you. I do have the great pleasure of working under Dr. Mac. I love being able to hear his preaching on a regular basis. It is wonderful. So how many kids do you have now? I will be in South Bend over the Christmas Break, just down the road from you guys. So here’s a question for you. How/why did you end up in the E-Free circle (I’m not saying it’s bad, just curious)? E-Free is massive up here in Minnesota. Don’t know much about the E-Free’s that much, that’s why I’m questioning. Well, get back to me and maybe we can connect again.
I tried to connect this through email awhile ago, but never was able to get through (it always bounced back).
Hey dad! nice post!