I was listening to Dr. King's speech today as I was running errands in the car. It's impossible to miss. I always enjoy the speech - I love the passion and truth that he brings. Several things stuck out to me that I hadn't noticed before. The first was his mention of standing in the shadow of Lincoln. I thought that was interesting. When I think back on recent history, it is not Lincoln who's shadow I perceive. It is men and women like Dr. King.
The second thing that struck me was this excerpt:
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
The "security of justice" was particularly troublesome to hear. Having worked in correctional facilities and seen the disproportionate number of African American men and women, I believe we can say that the check bounced. There are a lot of components to this issue, but the disparities in the justice system are deep and painful.
And this:
"...for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone."
As part of the Body of Christ we understand this. It is as normal as breathing. We cannot walk alone, we need the other parts of the body, regardless of our differences.
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