MLK and the the Beloved Community

Rob and I were in Washington this past week which coincided with the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s assasination.

We went to his Memorial and as I walked around the looked and listened and just took all of it in,  I thought that the idea that such a man and such a soul could exist on our planet is a sign of hope.

It was a rainy and blustery day.  The cherry blossoms were in full swing and across the Tidal Pool, you could see the Jefferson Memorial.  School children in brightly colored uniforms screamed and raced around the Memorial.  They were celebrating Spring and being out of overheated and antiquated schools.  There was pride there.  Great pride in a great American.

Two buses pulled up and disgorged Christian pilgrims and religious spirituals flooded from the speakers high above it all.  All in all, a glorious cacophony.

I had an odd impulse (odd to me at least) to fall on my knees and pray to him to save us.  What do you do at a Memorial?  It was like being at a huge outdoor Church with all of the faithful gathered to listen and learn and mourn and pray.  A place of worship.

“As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way!”

Show us the way…We are all looking for a resurrection.  We want someone to save us.  I want someone to save us.

What a horrible burden for any man or woman to take this weight.  It is asking someone to die for our sins.  We exalt them and then we crucify them.  Martin Luther King knew he would die.  He said “I may not make it with you…”, but he was willing to take up this burden and carry it for all of us.

Change will come when each of us reaches out to become more like the heroes we revere.

We must save ourselves, we must drive out hate, we must be the history that curves toward justice.

No one man is enough.  No one woman is enough.   Grow your own salvation.  Get up off your knees and do the work.