Saturday, January 16, 2016

Dr. King--I Remember...

Photo by Norman Maddeaux / flickr




Monday, January 18 would be Martin Luther King’s 87th birthday. We celebrate this day for many reasons.

As I look at the black checker in the Grocery store I remember how it was.

As I saw a young black man working out at the Gym I remember how it was.

As I watched our black President in the State of the Union address I remember how it was.

As I watched the Republican debate and saw Ben Carson I remember how it was.

As I saw a black couple check into the motel in Birmingham I remember how it was.

As I watched Alabama win the National Championship I remember Bear Bryant’s resistance.

As I entered church Sunday no Deacons stood at the front door to protect the church from black
folks who would come in "for the wrong reasons".

As I talked on the telephone complaining because my paper did not come—a black woman helped me.

As I walked down my neighborhood street—three houses down a black couple lives.

As I walked up my neighborhood street five houses up—two black families live.

As I look out my window a father leads a group of kids, black and white to school two blocks away.

As I drove down University Boulevard students black and white walked across the campus.

As I watched Aretha Franklin bring down the house at the Kennedy Center Honors.


And so in remembering the way it was I thank God for the courage of Martin Luther King who led us down a hard street and gave his life that that we might live up to our values.


photo courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / flickr

Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com



2 comments:

  1. I didn't vote for President Obama in his first race for President, but did vote for his reelection next time around. Even in 2008 when I cast my vote for Senator McCain, I sat there and smiled when they announced the election results. I couldn't help myself because I was thinking of how far we had come in our country from a horrible past. Thank God.

    I love the writings of Dr. King.

    I'm enjoying checking out your blog. I was reading an article about Greenville Baptist Church and others who are coming out as affirming to the LGBT population and found this via your comment there. I wish Greenville Baptist were in Columbia, South Carolina. I have a gay son and love him and all of his friends. All should be welcome in God's house. In the past, we were very active in a Southern Baptist church -- taught young marrieds, second grade Sunday school, husband was a deacon until he decided he wanted a beer occasionally (ha!), worked in VBS and went on quite a few mission trips. I no longer feel comfortable attending a church which isn't affirming. The silence was deafening, however, as we left a church we had been so active in for many, many years. It's a real shame and makes me sad how harsh the Christian community is to LGBT people. There's way too much sanctimonious judgment and not enough of sharing Jesus' love. I just don't see how some can reconcile all the harm caused to LGBT people with being followers of Jesus.

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