"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces,
I would still plant my apple tree."
"Only in the darkness can you see the stars."
"I have decided to stick with love. ...Hate is too great a burden to bear."
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies,
but the silence of our friends."
"Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude."
"The time is always right to do the good thing."
"The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined
nonconformists who are dedicated to
justice, peace and brotherhood."
"We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today.
We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.
In this unfolding conundrum of life and history,
there is such a thing as being too late.
This is no time for apathy or complacency.
This is a time for vigorous and positive action."
"We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the
fierce urgency of now."
"We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a
mighty stream."
***
I am blessed to have lived in your time, Martin.
And I carry your message in my heart each and every day.
Mike, I'm with you! A great man!
ReplyDeleteDon't you think that in some real sense you wouldn't be the same person without his influence? Thanks, Robin! ;o)
DeleteHis spirit was beautiful, Theresa. And his words, and his voice and its cadence. I was in his presence once. It was one of my life's most formative moments. ;o)
ReplyDeleteRemarkable words, Mike, and so good to see them here.
ReplyDeleteI see from your response above that you were once in Dr. King's presence. I can only imagine the grace in that.
His words still sound true and clear, but Martin Luther King's cadence, which you mention as well, brought it all home as no other person could. I've come to appreciate that more and more as the years go by.
Thank you.
I am glad you know what I mean by his cadence. I can listen to that man forever. I was in college when he came to speak one Sunday. Afterwards, I got his autograph. I still get shivers just thinking about that morning. On another note: congrats on your Liebster! Well deserved! and thanks for the links, too! ;o)
DeleteDear Mike,
ReplyDeleteThe words you've posted have brought back to me the cadence of his speech and the eloquence of his pauses. That look in his eyes as he scanned all those who stood before him. Hungry for his wisdom. Thank you for these quotations. I'm not surprised that you once met him and got his autograph. You have selected quotes that tell us succinctly who MLK was. The ones that struck me most forcefully in today's reading were the following:
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies,but the silence of our friends."
And "Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude."
And "The time is always right to do the good thing."
Thank you for stopping by my blog yesterday. It's wonderful to know that I'll be seeing now photographs of Maine and reading about that place where I always wanted to visit. The closest I came was living in Claremont, NH.
I'll return to your blog again and again.
Peace.
I am so glad to have made this acquaintance with you, Dee. In light of our having learned that King was aware of an imminent threat to his life before his assassination, I particularly love the quote about planting the apple tree. I don't know if every generation has its own spiritual leader, but I sure am grateful that he was mine. Thanks for stopping by, and for your message. ;o)
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