MLK Jr Day 2021...
MLK Jr is one of the few Southern Baptist Preachers who speaks to me, even these many, many years later. His voice always brings me to tears. I see that my companion has brought out our prized multi-cd set of his greatest speeches. It is waiting expectantly on the kitchen table. I believe we will spin it later today. Always a powerful, compelling listening event.
Why does this Preacher, and his words, so deeply connect with me? Aspiration. The beauty of the words, the cadence, and the music & the meaning of his words; a perfect melding of "form and content." MLK always seemed to be appealing to the best of us. Our "Better Angels." Of course, we always fall short. We are just Human Beings. We are complicated. We are tricky. Some of us really want to be and do good, really, we try, but then we fall short.
MLK Jr not only "talked the talk," he "walked the walk." He braved the hurled insults and hurled bricks. He stood up against hate, indifference, deep-seated racism and injustice. He spoke for the downtrodden, the oppressed, he spoke against the Vietnam War, and violence of all kinds. He was a bit of a shit-stirrer, the best kind, a practitioner of "good trouble," a benevolent agent of change, he was trying to change and improve America; the good work: creating the "Beloved Community." Not everyone welcomed him. He was loved, he was hated.
An assassin's bullet brought him down. He was martyred by the haters. But his words of love and aspiration were propelled forward by his murder. His words, his example of peaceful protest grew in power and resonance, and the world listened. He opened heads and hearts. Amazing. Inspiring.