Dreams Deferred: Honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

                Today we pause to remember and honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We know that Dr. King had a dream. In that dream, he saw a time that his “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.” White folks like to mention that word from Dr. King without paying attention to the rest of the dream. That dream had to do with justice. It had to do with the true absence of racism. Unfortunately, these elements of his dream have been deferred. Progress was made, especially early on, and yet we are more than a half-century later and we still haven’t truly come to terms with the racism that is present in our land.

                The year 2020 has been a difficult one. We’ve been dealing with a global pandemic that has caused us much grief, and communities of color have borne the brunt of this pandemic. We’ve seen the emergence of a racial reckoning that began with the brutal deaths first of George Floyd and then Breanna Taylor at the hands of police officers. They were not the only victims. We had marches and protests and conversations, but it’s clear that there is so much more to be done.

                Then there is the Presidential Election of 2020, the results of which were called into question by the President has supporters. They claimed that the election was stolen from them and pointed fingers at cities like Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee. These cities all have majority African-American populations. It was suggested that the leadership of these communities is corrupt. Why? Isn’t it obvious? They are predominantly African American communities. While the Voting Rights Act was enacted in 1965 to guarantee the right to vote, but its power has eroded over time allowing more impediments to be erected keeping people from voting.

                So, as we stop to honor Dr. King today, let us recognize that his dream still needs to be fulfilled. While our nation is becoming increasingly diverse, we are seeing significant pockets of resistance on the part of many white Americans who seem to fear their loss of dominance in society. We saw this on display on January 6 in the attack on the Capitol.

                As we ponder these realities, I share this word I recently saw posted by an African American clergy friend, who reminded those who saw it that reconciliation can’t happen until there is repentance. We who are Christians should understand this premise, and we who have benefited from white privilege have much to repent of. Reconciliation is possible, but not without first dealing with the cause of the disruption.

                I will leave you with this word from a speech given in Montgomery, Alabama in 1957. It’s titled “Facing the Challenge of a New Age.” I believe this word that speaks of justice is a word for our times.

     Now the fact that this new age is emerging reveals something basic about the universe. It tells us something about the core and heartbeat of the cosmos. It reminds us that the universe is on the side of justice. It says to those who struggle for justice, “You do not struggle alone, but God struggles with you.” This belief that God is on the side of truth and justice comes down to us from the long tradition of our Christian faith. There is something at the very center of our faith which reminds us that Good Friday may occupy the throne for a day, but ultimately it must give way to the triumphant beat of the drums of Easter. Evil may so shape events that Caesar will occupy a palace and Christ a cross, but one day that same Christ will rise up and split history into A.D. and B.C., so that even the life of Caesar must be dated by His name. There is something in this universe that justifies Carlyle in saying, “No lie can live forever.” There is something in this universe which justifies William Cullen Bryant in saying, “Truth crushed to earth will rise again.” There is something in this universe that justifies James Russell Lowell in saying:

Truth forever on the scaffold

Wrong forever on the throne

Yet that scaffold sways the future

 And behind the dim unknown stands God

Within the shadows keeping watch above his own.

 

And so here in Montgomery, after more than eleven long months, we can walk and never get weary, because we know there is a great camp meeting in the promised land of freedom and justice. [Martin Luther King Jr, The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream" and Other Great Writings (King Legacy). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition].