Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"There is a sort of poverty of the spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific and technological abundance,” he [King] told the assembled guests. “The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

These prophetic words were spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his acceptance speech for the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.  This address went to an audience within and far beyond the walls of the Oslo City Hall:  His message was for an America undergoing an unprecedented social and cultural upheaval and a turbulent world divided by fear, ideologies, and war.

He could have been speaking about 2024. 

This year, the MLK Center in Atlanta, GA, has selected “It Starts With Me” for its theme.  To be the change we want to see in the world, it needs to begin with each of us.  King was an advocate of nonviolence, but also of action. Social and economic injustice or violence are not conquered with passivity.  

So let us use January 15, 2024, a day honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as a day for our own annual Resolution for Action.  As I reflect on my own commitment, I ask you to consider the following questions.  What will you do in the coming year to enact positive change?  How will you educate yourself to the larger issues, such as food and housing insecurity, in our country and the world that impacts all of us? How will you volunteer your time and talents for the greater good?

On the 60th anniversary of Dr. King’s recognition with the Nobel Peace Prize, I invite you to listen or read his acceptance speech, and remember his optimistic vision:  “I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind.”

Carpe Diem!