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| 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".
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.
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| photo courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / flickr Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com |
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.
ReplyDeleteI 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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