MLK’s Legacy of Hope, Faith, and Courage
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC opened to the public on August 22, 2011. It honors Dr. King’s vision of freedom, opportunity and justice for all. It is the first major memorial along the National Mall to be dedicated to an African-American and to a non-president.
It seems fitting that the monument dedication—rescheduled from August 28 due to Hurricane Irene—will be led by the first African-American president.
King poured his life into righting the wrongs in our society. He was dedicated to non-violence, yet in the face of violence, he refused to run and he refused to hide. In his lifetime, as his assassination demonstrates, many who wanted to maintain the status quo considered him the enemy. In spite of this in his 39 years he inspired a nation to take steps, however slowly and painfully, toward equality for all minorities.
What made King so inspirational, his sermons so memorable?
Amazing skill as a speaker certainly plays a part, but for me, what shines through his speeches is the absolute conviction that we as a nation will reach the Promised Land of racial equality. Has that dream been entirely realized? Certainly not. Has progress been made? Without a doubt. For a sense of how much has changed watch the current movie, The Help, a story told from the perspective of Negro maids in Misssiippi in the 1960s.
Another word for MLK’s conviction is hope. Not the wishful thinking kind of hope, but robust hope that is certain of making progress and reaching goals.
Faith is another component. The kind of faith that believes in something or someone, totally and absolutely. King believed unequivocally not only in his vision of equality but also in his God and in the moral imperative of his cause.
And then there is courage. King had the courage to live—and die—by his convictions.
Beyond that, King’s life demonstrated that faith and hope—translated into courageous action—can move mountains.
I can think of a few mountains that need moving in our nation and our world, in our homes, in our lives. Your mountain might look like inequality, or it might look like any number of adverse circumstances—unemployment, fractured families, broken relationships, mental or physical illness, to name a few.
Whatever the nature of your mountain—faith, hope and courage are essential to conquer it. Without hope you cannot think creatively or solve problems effectively. With hope comes faith that change is possible. Hope and faith give the courage to persevere in the face of adversity.
Martin Luther King, Jr's faith and hope translated into courageous action stands as a shining example for us all.
This post was originally written in 2011 right after the MLK Memorial came online.