Schools, Banks, and Parades..MLK Day

I recently shared my thoughts on Medium about MLK Day and the correlation it holds with me personally.

Today as I celebrate my own birthday I share it with another great day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I remember as a kid being told that parades were being held just for me on my birthday. In fact, I was reminded of the same just yesterday.

One thing that I share with Martin Luther King Jr. is his great tenacity to love. Love in a way where you are able to serve one another. Love in a way where your faith is what leads you. Love in a way that your actions answer the most persistent and urgent questions “what are you doing for others?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

I spent many years conflicted about the thin line between love and hate. Raised in the south, I saw hate in all shapes, sizes, and colors. As I grow older each day I have witnessed the beauty in which Martin Luther King Jr. had foretold. A time and place where we can learn to live together as brothers and sisters.

In a world more divided than in Martin Luther King Jr.’s day, we look to our leaders for an example, yet we find none. Rather than following the consensus it is time we become the molder of consensus. It is time we lift each other up and hold each other in dignity and respect. Regardless of the color of our skin, it is time we learn to love again.

That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everyone blind.

On my birthday that I share with Martin Luther King Jr day, “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. “ It is time we break down the barriers. We can not afford to be silent any longer, regardless of your past or your history. If we join hands and love one another, we can begin to heal the wounds and scars that ravage our country. With a pure heart, we can finish the goal that Martin Luther King Jr started long ago.

It is my only birthday wish as I blow out the candles that this year will see more love and less hate. That our lives will be filled with the peace and light of our Lord and savior. And lastly, that will find a way to love each other as brothers and sisters.