This post was originally posted on January 16, 2012, and reprinted today January 19, 2015
Every year when we reach Martin Luther King Jr day, I am always shocked as I read through his speeches, and I wonder why is it that we as a country, do not treat this holiday as important as Independence Day? King’s words embody the true meaning and path to Freedom more than any other person I have ever studied.
Below are some links to various collections of MLKJr quotes, but I want to highlight the quote that I heard spoken this weekend, and that reverberates in my head today.
I would rather die that hate you.
Can you imagine that? What a sentiment! When seen in the light of Martin’s notion of Love, it calls us to really reach out to find a new way of seeing those who might be called our opposition. How often do we just perpetuate the same old scenario of bickering and fighting. In that scenario, we set our opponents as the enemy, when in reality, they are prisoners to the status quo too. The problem isn’t the people, but rather the unequal power structures that allow some to treat others as less than and unequal.
Loving Your enemies– a speech by Martin Luther King Jr.