“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.”
August 28, 1963
It is possible that the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King has never carried more meaning and significance than it does today on the eve on the inauguration of our nation’s first black president. I have already heard a number of times today the question, “What do you think Dr. King would think of what is about to happen?” I agree with most of the answers that have been given. I believe that the eighty year old civil rights leader would rest well tonight in the full assurance that the battle for equal rights has in landed, in this moment, securely in its finally resting place of our history books. It is a battle that is won, whereas our children and their children will never again see a black man, and hopefully any man of color, and believe they could ever be limited of position because of their race.
That being said, I also believe that the same eighty year old pastor and ambassador of Christ to the world would carry a great burden today. He’s dream was not just one where men would not be judged by the color of their skin… but would be judged by the “content of their character.” Those old color blinded eyes would see a nation that would appear seriously lacking in the realm of character, justice, and peace. I don’t believe that Dr. King was primarily speaking to our government and lawmakers but to every man and woman and children that desired a better country and a better world. And I believe he would still have much to say.
What is equality worth, if we all find ourselves equally in the despair of a morally bankrupt existence? Is it enough that we don’t judge others by what they look like on the outside if we also choose to turn a blind eye to what we ourselves look like on the inside? When I read the words of Dr. King I still hope for a better nation, a better world, a better future… all of which are less and less contingent on race relations with every passing moment. The future we should strive for is one where we are willing to judge ourselves and others on the content of their character… one where we choose to fight, at the risk of great personal loss, for justice and honor for our neighbors… and one where we would all be more than willing to gladly give our lives as a martyr for the cause of creating a better world that we know is meant to exist. “I have a dream that my… children will one day live in a nation where they will… be judged… by the content of their character.”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment