Jan 21st, 2008
MLK: Words to live by
From a 1967 speech by Martin Luther King Jr.:
You may be thirty-eight years old, as I happen to be, and one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls upon you to stand up for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause. And you refuse to do it because you are afraid. You refuse to do it because you want to live longer. You’re afraid that you will lose your job, or you are afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity, or you’re afraid that somebody will stab you or shoot at you or bomb your house. So you refuse to take the stand. Well, you may go on and live until you are ninety, but you are just as dead at thirty-eight as you would be at ninety. And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit. You died when you refused to stand up for right. You died when you refused to stand up for truth. You died when you refused to stand up for justice ….
Related post: Grateful for Dr. King’s Legacy
Abigail, Thank you for this reminder that when as individuals we are called to speak out for justice, we are compelled to answer that call. MLK’s words also bring to mind some aspects of the Prayer of St. Francis, which I also find inspirational at times.
Abigail, These words are exactly what we have been talking about - brilliant my friend. Oh and I think you are really cool.