Today we remember and honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
My social media feeds have been filled with his picture and a number of his most famous quotes.
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others.”
“I have a dream…”
His words resonate deeply and for a moment help us to stand on tiptoe and to see beyond the challenges and boundaries of today to the promise of tomorrow.
But, here’s the thing.
I fear his words are so moving that we forget the struggle.
We forget how hard it was.
And how much it cost.
And how many people lost their lives.
And went to jail.
And lost their jobs.
We forget how long it took.
And how much courage it took.
His words matter because of all of that.
But we forget.
And instead hold onto the rhetoric and forget the struggle.
And therefore fool ourselves into believing that change…
Real change…
Comes easily.
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