The Great Late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered this speech on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Washington, D.C., Lincoln Memorial during the march on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. There is nothing quite like a vision and this man was a master. I honor his life today and encourage us all to keep moving forward for his unfinished legacy. Which by the way, was/is a legacy straight from the life and lips of Jesus Christ!


I have a dream that one day this nation will 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.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four 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. I have a dream today.


I have spent a lot of time, in my seminary days and in continued reading to this day, studying the effectiveness and success of Martin Luther King's non-violent movement against segregation and injustice in the American south. I believe most of that success was a direct result of God's call upon his life, his ability to cast a compelling vision with inspirational eloquence, and his passion for stepping out in faith. Sometimes that willingness to activate his faith landed him in jail. The following is a powerful excerpt from King during his time in a Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963. While jailed for leading anti-segregation protests in Birmingham, King wrote this letter arguing that individuals have the moral duty to disobey unjust laws.


We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly I have never yet engaged in a direct action movement that was "well timed," according to the timetable of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. This "wait" has almost always meant "never." We must come to see with the distinguished jurist of yesterday that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

And here is one of my favorite quotes:

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.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Read that once again and let it sink in and challenge you to the core.


Thank you, Lord God, for Martin Luther King, Jr. I pray his vision will continue to compel up forward for the cause of non-violence, peace, and justice. Raise up more and more believers to radically follow your Son, even if it means jail time, persecution, and even death. I pray this in the matchless name of Jesus Christ, Your Son and our Lord. Amen.