Marching on to the Dream

  Fifty years ago, people from far and wide marched their way to Washington D.C. to hear a preacher whose words promoted love, peace and unity. Thousands of people filled the National Mall. Hope, joy, pride and honor was in the heart of these souls. In front of the Lincoln Memorial stood the man who had brought them together; strong in his faith and purpose. He knew this movement he lead was God's purpose for his life. Little did he know that the words he would speak that day would be the most powerful and influential in the Civil Rights Movement.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr spoke from his heart. He had a dream. He had a vision for this great nation and he was going to do everything in his power to see it accomplished. His words evoked passion and truth. He demanded more of his country.

 "We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children."

He had a dream for his children and for the nation's children.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."   

He had a dream for spiritual healing on our land.

"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."
 
 Dr. King had a vision and thanks to his obedience to God this nation experienced a shift.

There are moments in our nation when racial tension exist. There are times when we fail to treat our fellow human being with kindness and respect. We fail to admit our mistakes. But now there are those who don't sit idly by and allow it to proceed. People have learn to stand up, support and encourage one another. Dr. King's words echo in our hearts and mind as a nation reminding us to "..... rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

The best way to honor this historic day and this God-fearing man is to pursue his dream.

"And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"