#dreamday

Today is the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech that provided a snapshot for an important era in history.

Known as the "I Have a Dream" speech, the most famous part of the address, the ending, was unscripted. It was a version of a set-peice that King had done a number of times in other venues. Preachers do tend to go down rabbit trails, and occasionally something good happens. :)

If you want to read more about this, and about how King's vocation as a preacher was integral to who he was and what he did, read The Preacher King by Richard Lescher. It's a fantastic perspective on the man and the era and culture that shaped him.

While lots of words are being said about the speech, its importance, and how it may or may not have changed the world (insofar as one single speech is capable of doing, which is probably a good subject for another post, perhaps the best way to honor this anniversary is to simply let the man speak for himself:



What is your contribution to this refrain? What is the dream today? Finish the sentence by tweeting "I have a dream that..." with the hashtag #dreamday. I'll be doing that throughout the day, and posting about it later this evening.

Some Hope on a Sad Day

Forty seven years ago today, one of the greatest preachers of all time gave perhaps the greatest sermon in the English language. The best part is that the last, most famous section of "I Have a Dream" was unscripted. King had used the phrase before, but it took on a life of its own on this day.

Sadly, today on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Glen Beck, Sarah Palin and others are holding a blasphemous rally in an attempt to hijack the legacy of Dr. King. I'm not watching it, because as you can probably tell, I already have too much fuel for the judgmental spirit that too often takes over me.

Intstead, I'm feeding my soul with something more positive today. I hope you'll join me in turning off the cable news and spend a few minutes soaking in the words of a true prophet.

It doesn't matter if you've never seen this before or if you've seen it hundreds of times. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words never fail to inspire.



Amen, Dr. King. Amen.