Happy Martin Luther King Day!

I segue from my “word of the day” to this “phrase of the day”.

When I think about that greeting, I can’t help but think about the price this man paid to have a day named after him. With a quick google “What does it take to have a Federal Holiday named after you?”, I found that it wasn’t such an easy task. Apparently, the notion of creating a Martin Luther King Day met with much controversy. Two of the main arguments by opponents were that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive, and that a holiday to honor a private citizen would be contrary to longstanding tradition (MLK had never held public office). Only two other figures have national holidays in the U.S. honoring them: George Washington and Christopher Columbus. But, President Ronald Reagan approved the creation of the holiday, signing it into existence on November 2, 1983. The first official Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, held the third Monday in January of each year, was held on January 20, 1986.You’re welcome. Now you know the answer to that question, too.

Martin Luther King Jr. lived an extraordinary life. At 33, he was pressing the case of civil rights with President John Kennedy. At 34, he galvanized the nation with his “I Have a Dream” speech. At 35, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. At 39, he was assassinated, but he left a legacy of hope and inspiration that continues today. I’m one of those he inspired. Those years were some of my first awareness of the atrocities of racial discrimination and the civil rights riots that made us feel like our country was falling apart. It really was. For the love of God, how could this happen to “one nation UNDER GOD”?

I remember how this honorable, passionate, audacious, bold and courageous “Baptist minister” gave his life to change our world. I remember his words just before his assassination in 1968: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” MLK was in good company with those words. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus said “Love your enemies! Bless them that curse you! Do good to them that hate you! Pray for them who spitefully use you, and persecute you!” Doesn’t that sound just preposterous? How could I possibly love someone that hurt me or rejected me or cursed me? How absolutely IMPOSSIBLE these words seem to be! Only through the supernatural power of LOVE — God’s love can it be possible.

Relentless passion in pursuit of a dream is what men AND women like MLK are made of . . . and look what one life did to change HIS world. To think and speak on behalf of others is noteworthy, to serve and act on behalf of others is heroic, but what do we call someone who gave his words, actions and life on behalf of others? Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the few people in history who has so profoundly changed the world in such a short time. His visions and actions for social unity, racial brotherhood, true peace and social welfare were not only carefully thought and weighed, but also acted upon with strategic finesse. MLK fought the good fight and kept the faith.

Lord, help us to love relentlessly and pursue the dreams you would have for us to invest our lives in — to make this world a better place for just having been here. Thank you, MLK, for your example of “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13