InSpiritry

Today, January 21, 2008, is Martin Luther King Day, the only American national holiday to commenorate an African American. As you celebrate it, consider the idea that this could be the day you have been waiting for — the day you decide take up Dr. King’s challenge to follow your heart and make a difference in the world.  Indeed, today is the day:

Today is the day to remember!

This is a day of looking back over our country’s conflicted history of race relations to recognize Dr. King’s courage and conscience. Whatever your own personal experiences, this is a day for Americans to admit we have all waited too long to address stubborn social and political problems. While the presidential race is a bright example of how far we have come with regards to race and gender, the issues in the forefront of the campaign are stark indicators of our failings: war, economic injustice, healthcare, education, religion, the environment. Dr. King spoke out on behalf of all these problems decades ago. We honor him best by listening again now. Today is the day to remember his exhortations to us about his dreams.

Today is the time to take a day ON! 

On Monday, January 20, 1986, Americans celebrated the first official Martin Luther King day.  In 1994, the National King Day of Service was created through federal legislation co-authored by former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and Georgia Congressman John Lewis, both veterans of the Civil Rights movement with Dr. King. The act called for the transformation of the King federal holiday from simply a “day off” into a “day on” of active citizenship and service. In Philadelphia, the site of the largest MLK celebration, 60,000 people will honor King’s ideas by participating in the 2008 Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service. Today is the day for each of us to turn our attentions toward the needs of our community and make the next year one full of days “on.”

Today is the first day of nonviolence!

Another aspect of the official Martin Luther King Day is the launch of Forty Days of Nonviolence - Building the Beloved Community. With the forty-day Christian season of Lent (which leads up to Easter) just around the corner, this idea is especially relevant: Jesus invoked a New Covenant of peacemaking. But Dr. King’s peacemaking is not limited to Christians. This year, the Muslim American Society is joining the King campaign of Forty Days of Nonviolence. As additional evidence that nonviolence is a global issue, King drew his own nonviolent ideas from Mahattma Gandhi, who devoted his writings and ultimately gave his life to the cause. Taking forty days to recommit to peaceful living is a personal practice I have followed several times in the past few years as the U.S. has waged its assaults in the Middle East. Today is the day for all of us to see the world as God’s “beloved community” as we commit to forty days of intentional living as peacemakers.

Today is the day to make a difference!

What has been tugging at your heart? How do you envision God’s intentions for our world? What have you been meaning to do for someone you know? Where do you feel led to share your time, energy and — yes — even money? Who do you need to forgive? Who do you need to seek forgiveness from? How are you letting cowardice keep you from taking bold action? How is greed or arrogance or a grudge holding you back? Today is the day to make a difference, to embrace the values of InSpiritry:

Seek spiritual oneness with God, the World and Nature

Open your heart to those in need of your care

Speak up and out but also listen

Explore new ideas and live creatively

Embrace the power of synergy and diversity

Overcome fear to act on your beliefs

See all knowledge as valuable and interconnected

Live joyfully and gratefully

Dr. King set a fine example for us of how one person can make a difference in the world. Let’s celebrate his birthday by following his lead.

Today is the Day–You Can Be a Blessing!

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This entry was posted on Monday, January 21st, 2008 at 12:26 pm and is filed under Anne McCrady, Community, Mission, InSpiritry, Greater Good, Social Issues, Spiritual, Peacework, Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.