“Power at its best is LOVE implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is LOVE correcting everything that stands against LOVE.” -MLK, 1967.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist and leader in the civil rights movement. He became one of the few historical icons of human rights, along with Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, to seek justice via non-violent means.

King fought a non-violent fight so that you and I would be respected and valued by the “content of our character” rather than be judged by the “color of our skin.”

I believe King’s message of hope, love, and unity to end discrimination (of all types), abolish poverty (worldwide), and oppose war (Vietnam or any other war) is more important today than ever before. His prophetic vision continues to inspire those who believe that faith is not simply believing, but is also a call to redeeming action. Faith without works is empty, just as works without faith is empty. God expected Israel to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.”

Lets recall some of MLK’s words of wisdom and truth:

Champion Non-Violence: “Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” (MLK, Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 12/1/1964.)

End Discrimination and Racial Segregation: “Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them.” (MLK, 8/16/1967).

Abolish Poverty:  “The curse of poverty has no justification in our age. It is socially as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism at the dawn of civilization, when men ate each other because they had not yet learned to take food from the soil or to consume the abundant animal life around them. The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty.” (MLK, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967).

Oppose War:  “The bombs in Vietnam explode at home; they destroy the hopes and possibilities for a decent America.” and “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” (MLK, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk

The catastrophe in Haiti has brought worldwide attention to the poorest country in the Western world. Lets remember the voices of those who came before us and do things that truly matter: lets give generously. If you already donated, great. Try to give a bit more and motivate your friends to give. The time is now. Consider these words by King: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Do you think MLK’s message is relevant today?

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You are encouraged to share your thoughts in the comment section below. Thanks for sharing!

TIP: If you have not read any of Martin Luther King Jr. books, I recommend you read Strength to Love and Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? If you are a communicator and aspire to lead, inspire, and mobilize people, I suggest you listen (and study) MLK’s superb oratorical skills.

Related posts:

1. MLK on Peace and Justice
2. Human Trafficking in the 21st Century is No Joke
3. How to Pray for Haiti and its People
4. Superbowl 2009 – ADS
5. Reflecting on Thanks-Giving

I am a big fan of Martin Luther and recently found some fave quotes in my notes:

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.
-Martin Luther King Jr.

“The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.
- Martin Luther King Jr., “Strength to Love”

Forty-five years ago, MLK entered the public scene and transformed history. He was born in a poor home in Atlanta, Georgia. Grew up to become a preacher like his father and worked at Montgomery Baptist Church. King’s legacy goes beyond historical facts. Martin initiated a change of perspective and racial relations in the USA. He addressed the racial issues of the day with bravery and tenacity.

Following the footsteps of his leadership America is better today. The future of this country is again filled with hope and promise.

Through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can’t murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate. Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that….

Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.
-Martin Luther King Jr., “Where do we go from here?”, August 1967

Related posts:

1. Words of Wisdom for Today – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2. Quote: Relinquishing Control
3. Human Trafficking in the 21st Century is No Joke
4. Superbowl 2009 – ADS
5. Blessings in Disguise