I have always felt honored to that my birthday happens to fall on the same day as the birth of one of America’s great heroes – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. You know, ‘cause it’s really all about me.
Actually, I relate to him because I think he is often misunderstood – at least sometimes by some people. Because frequently his name is found in sentences with the word “fight.” As in, “Martin Luther King Jr. fought for civil rights.” It’s right there on Wikipedia, I tell ya.
Well, I suppose he did. But I take issue with the choice of verb because even though I didn’t know him personally, I don’t think Dr. King was a fightin’ kind of man. Sure, he rallied, protested and led others to do so. But he encouraged everyone to do so without using violence. Remember…he won a Noble PEACE Prize. I think sometimes people invoke his name when they are using methods of protest of which he would not condone. Plus, since a lot of violence was employed against him, I think sometimes people get confused and think he was mixed up in that. He wasn't.
I thought today was the perfect occasion for me to reflect on how Dr. King changed the world for me and for my children. And what is the relevance now, in 2012?
King was the epitome of peace. He believed in tapping into our individual strengths such as the use of intellect and voice, not to mention the power of collective boycotting. Dr. King knew how to make a stand effectively for what he believed in.
And he knew the power that just one person could have. He believed in himself. While other African Americans (and sympathetic white folks) lived in an era full of racial injustices, they were either so brainwashed they accepted the injustices as reality or they felt powerless to overcome them. Not King. “Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus."
He personally connected himself to the cause. "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." And he related that dream to all he did. In other words, he treated ALL people just the way he said he wanted to be treated -- by the content of their character.
King was arrested for sit-ins, stabbed, abused and hated. He had many enemies – the Ku Klux Klan among them. His house was fire-bombed and he was assassinated at the age of 39. Through it all, I’m quite certain he even loved some people whose very characters were unlovable. Because his actions were motivated by love. How powerful is that?
His spoken words, later memorialized after his death: “If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long…. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize, that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards, that’s not important…. I’d like somebody to mention that day, that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others. I’d like for somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody…. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.”
What is his relevance today? What do I want my kids to know on this national holiday?
· It’s OK to go against what society views as right or good, especially if it isn’t backed up Biblically.
· One person can make a difference.
· Do good things because they are the right things to do, not for accolades or awards.
· Be motivated by love, plus all the other fruits of the spirit that Dr. King also seemed to employ – peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Did I forget any?
· Be like Jesus, who summed up the commandments to this: “Love God and love people.”
· Accept and love people for who they are, not how they look.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy is more than just prizes, the Civil Rights Amendment and speeches. It was how he lived his life and touched the lives of those around him. It makes me wonder, how can I make my legacy better? How can I help my children to understand that the way they act daily is their living testimony?
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