Rhemalogy

As a child I was often mezmorized by the elaborate speeches Dr. King made. I considered him a statesman with a high moral fortitude. A visionary who was truly concerned about the soul of this nation. A bullet took his life in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4th, 1968. I remember it as though it were yesterday. We were in choir rehearsal when the news of his death came. That was one of the saddest days I can remember. There were tears and prayers in our community. A winner of the Nobel Peace Prize—An advocate of peace. Yet those days following his death were filled with hurt, anger and chaos. His life ended, but his vision changed a nation; and his words still inspire a generation today.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, here are ten of his most inspirational quotes that still ring true concerning our nation today.

1. “Returning violence for violence multiplies violence adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars”
2. “Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.”  
3. “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
4. “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
5. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
6. “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.” 
7. “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”  
8. “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re all in the same boat.” 
9. “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”
10. “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. ”

He had a dream…

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