January 11, 2016 WBAS Topics Prayer, REL Topic- Prayer
By: Kathy Hendricks
“…Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – Oslo, 1964.
While many of us can readily recall much of the “I Have a Dream” speech that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered at the Washington Mall in 1962, we might have more trouble identifying words from his other speeches and sermons. Take, for example, the excerpt from his acceptance speech after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. There is no question of the grounding this great leader had in the Gospels and in the call to justice that predominates all of Sacred Scripture. His was a vision that encompassed the globe and looked beyond the struggles of the current day to a brighter horizon in which peace would rule the day.
I have always admired Dr. King’s connective approach to peace. In one of his sermons, he described human interdependence by naming which part of the world every part of a morning breakfast comes from. While we Americans pride ourselves on being independent, it is our ability to recognize and embrace our interdependence that is going to determine our survival. At the base of this is the Gospel imperative to love.
The other day I read a newspaper column in which the writer listed words he was afraid his child would never know. One of them was peace. In a world constantly under threat by terrorism and nuclear holocaust, it is not a far-fetched fear. With such massive issues facing us, how does a single individual make a dent in the quest for peace? I think Dr. King would remind us to start at home. The peace we make within our own small spheres has a way of spreading outwards, connecting with others and sending ripples that will eventually affect the entire world. It’s a hopeful thought as we prepare to honor the life of a man dedicated to peace.
Bright Ideas
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Find out more about the life and work of Dr. King by visiting the King Center web site - http://www.thekingcenter.org/
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Engage your family or class in a discussion about the ways they can generate ripples of peace that will spread outwards into the world.
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Download my Prayer for Peacemakers and share it with your family or class.