By David Abraham
Over the past couple of years I have studied different parts of the life of the late, great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I remember hearing his speech “I have a Dream” for the first time in elementary school. On one of the new computers, the Encarta Encyclopedia was installed and we were allowed to use it occasionally. That is the first time I remember hearing Dr. King’s voice speak of his dream of racially equality and social justice in America. As I have started seeking social justice and equality in my own life and the lives of the men around me, I find myself reading different works that Dr. King penned in his short lifetime.
It is in Dr. King’s account of the events, that history calls the Montgomery Bus Boycott and that he entitled Stride Toward Freedom, that I found the inspiration to start a movement for the rights of prisoners. I named this movement #Strive2wardFreedom. And since I have started working on this movement, I have realized the magnitude and depth of what Dr. King accomplished in such a short period of time. There is no doubt in my mind that God blessed Dr. King with great wisdom, charisma, and courage to accomplish all that he was able to accomplish.
Today is special to me because of the kinship and love that I have developed for a man that I have never met in the flesh. Dr. King’s spirit lives on as men and women pick up the mantle of his work and fight for freedom. His dream lives on in the heart of every man and woman who decides to stand against oppressive systems. His dream lives on when Americans join together in unity despite their race or creed. His dream was given to him by God and seated him in eternal favor. Today we celebrate a man who’s dream reshaped the course of history and redirected the hearts of many.
I can only speak for myself, but I know that I owe so much to the virtue and journey of Dr. King. He is a permanent fixture in my heart and mind as I work towards progress and strive toward freedom. As long as the good Lord allows me to live, I will always follow in the footsteps of the most contemporary example of the Gospel in action, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed,” (Luke 4:18 HCSB) It is in this prophecy that we hear read by the Savior of the whole world, that we hear what Jesus says he was sent to do. As the body of Christ, we must walk this out. Dr. King has given us his dream and demonstration of his faith in that mission. May the Spirit of the Lord be upon every man and woman who will walk in this divine calling to proclaim freedom and set the oppressed free.
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