I think I would have gotten along well with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I have always had a deep sense of justice, and injustice, like him. And like him, I’ve been willing to put myself on the line for it. I’m not saying I’m anything close to the great MLK Jr. Just that I get him.
This week, we’ve heralded the life and mission of this prophetic man, and I find it so interesting how it all coincides with one of the most important weeks of every year for the pro-life movement. We face each Jan. 22 with a deep sorrow over how one court decision has informed (and misinformed) the hearts of a nation to choose violence as an answer. I’m sure Dr. King would not have approved. As I mentioned in this post from several years back, his niece would bet her own life on it.
Many of us, like MLK Jr., have dreams. Today, my youngest daughter will march at our nation’s capitol as a way of perpetuating a dream that we wish would never have been needed to be dreamt. And I will be in another city, God willing, doing something similar, supporting the right of all to simply exist.
The dream that I have had thrumming in my heart these past years goes something like this.
I dream of the day when we will all truly understand that when we disregard life at the beginning, that logic continues along a line of disregarding all life, and until we fix that beginning error, we will not see true justice in our world.
I dream of the day when those who feel that violence should be an option to rectify our world’s problems will see that the end does not justify the means, and the means cannot possibly justify the end.
I dream of the day my friends and family who disagree with me because of fear and lack of trust that choosing the right thing will always yield the better result, long term and short term, will understand my and others’ hearts on this.
I dream of the day fear will yield to hope, and that will be the guide.
I dream of the day all will see themselves and others the way God does.
I dream of the day every human being will be valued simply because they exist.
I dream of the day we all agree to pool our resources to uplift, embrace and walk with, rather than abandon and leave shattered.
I dream of the day my heart on the issue of life will not be tainted, misunderstood or misrepresented, because clarity and love will have won.
I know my vision is an ideal. So was Dr. King’s. And obviously, we have not yet lived out his vision to satisfaction. It was, perhaps, a vision that will never be fully realized in this life. And yet, we dare to speak it, to hope it, to try to live it, because we are a people of hope and we know that in the very thinking of and saying of it, there is a chance we’ll get one step closer to our dream.
Q4U: What is your dream?
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