As you know, yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous speech, “I Have a Dream.” You might have heard him deliver the familiar lines last night on the news or online – “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.”
It’s always moving to listen to the passionate conviction with which King delivered those words.
Fifty years later, this country has come a long way and for that, we rejoice.
But we need to recognize that, 50 years later, we haven’t come far enough.
Elections and court cases tell us there are still deep racial divides in our country.
It’s all too common to hear talk about “the Black Church” and “the White Church,” even though the Christian Church is one in Christ.
From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King laid out the ideals we should all aspire to: equality that is ingrained in our founding documents.
Today we have to go out and continue doing the work of accomplishing those ideals.
Our churches do a good job in pursuing the goals of Dr. King, but we can always do more.
What can you do? What can I do? You might want to suggest a potluck event with the black or white church down the street or across town.
You might want to be more intentional about getting to know the family of a different color or culture in your own congregation.
Whatever it is, we should be looking for opportunities to extend love and friendship to brothers and sisters in Christ who may look different than us. After all, if the Church can’t model unity, how can we extend that love to the world?
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