The Legacy of Celebration

"No other day of the year brings so many peoples from different cultural backgrounds together in such a vibrant spirit of brother and sisterhood," writes Coretta Scott King regarding the meaning of the holiday that we celebrate on the third Monday of January each year since 1986. 

 And ultimately, that is what today is about: celebrating the legacy of Dr. King and all of Civil Rights' heroes both big and small.   Today we celebrate the individuals who faced and endured all means of harassment, discrimination, racism, and in many cases pure unadulterated evil in order "To Form a More Perfect Union" as enumerated in our constitution.  This more perfect Union, according to Dr. King, is a nation that chooses to fight against racism, inequality and fight for the creation of a Beloved Community.  This fight however, is not over and people continue to face and fight injustice in all of its forms across the globe, and the United States.  


 So, rather than having today be a scheduled date to celebrate the ideals and impact of Dr. King, let today also be a revival of Dr. King's work in which we as a nation can continue the legacy of this incredible man through our celebration of his work.  We can create this revival by confronting the injustices that we find in our communities through cultivating conversations surrounding 'taboo' issues, and by continuously taking the time to make small impacts. These small impacts at times feel meaningless. However, these actions are the small pebbles that make up the mountains of change, and it is much easier to move pebbles than it is mountains. 


In other words, we have the ability to activate our communities to rise up against all forms of injustice in both our nation and our world.  We can do this through words, but also through our actions in our efforts to discern and find the goodness in those around us.  When we recognize the goodness in others we then can be capable to transcend the boundaries that we as a world continue to set, the same boundaries that then create divisions in our communities and our relationships.  When we transcend these boundaries it is possible for us to create conversations that enable greater understanding of differences and the exchange of ideas that then can translate into solutions for some of the greatest challenges that our world faces today.  These are issues such as: human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, mass incarceration, hunger, racism, and phobias of other cross-cultural, ethnic, sexual, and religious groups. 

When we recognize the good in others we choose to remove labels and stereotypes that have long be taped upon those different from us.  When we recognize the good in others we choose to live counter-cultural and radical in comparison to those around us, and therefore are capable of creating a change in our world.  

So I ask you today- what will your change be? If you are tired of seeing inequality, injustice, and evil what will you do to confront that? What will you do to recognize the good in others? How will you create revival in a radical way to illuminate the darkness that you see right now in your home, community and nation? How can you move pebbles to make mountains? How will you choose to joyfully celebrate Dr. King's work in order to further his legacy on our Earth? 

Choose to take the first step- to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King, and move forward to find the change that you wish to create.  I dare you to. 

In joyful celebration and reflection, I wish you a Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 

Jacob 











Location: Longmont, CO, USA

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 16, 2018 at 7:43 AM

    Beautiful, meaningful words, Jacob. Thank you for tackling this difficult subject with grace and strength.

    ReplyDelete

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