(Unless indicated, all Scriptures came from the New American Standard Version of the Holy Bible).
Although America celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s holiday on the third Monday in January each year, we, the American people, should commemorate the anniversary of Dr. King’s “ I Have a Dream ” speech after he, the National Association for Advanced Colored People (NAACP), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the other 260,000 people gathered at the rally to organize the March to Washington on Jobs and Freedom protest to fight against discrimination against African Americans’ civil and economic rights at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., which was August 28, 1963. We should observe the anniversary of Dr. King’s speech because it represents him as an American icon and a beacon of light for our nation. Dr. King spoke for each state in our country in his speech.
Dr. King mentioned in his speech that African Americans are still slaves of discrimination, segregation, poverty, police brutality, and unfair rights to citizenship, even though the Emancipation Proclamation became a law to abolish slavery in America one hundred years ago. Dr. King encouraged Americans to fight for freedom and justice, for he quoted the Scripture of Amos 5:24 in his speech, “ Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” While we fight for our rights, Dr. King encouraged us to obtain peaceful protests. Dr. King also asked for freedom to ring in each state of the United States in his speech. He also insisted that America should stay dedicated to the promises of our country’s democracy, our Constitution, and our Declaration of Independence.
In his speech, Dr. King shared his dream of being in America, where he believes people of every nationality share a brotherhood, doing things together, such as working, praying, struggling, going to jail, and standing up for freedom. In his speech, he also expressed a dream for all racism and segregation in public places to stop in our nation and for all flesh on earth to dwell together when God reveals His glory. (To read the full speech of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream,” visit the website www.naacp.org/resources/history-explained/civil-rights-leaders/1963-march-washington).
Dr. King’s dream should teach us that showing partiality in judgment is not good (Deuteronomy 1:17, Proverbs 24:23 and 28:21), for God has created every man equally; therefore, He does not show partiality (Deuteronomy 10:17, Acts 10:34). Because the Lord our God has no injustice or partiality, we as the American people must judge our neighbor fairly and carefully ( 2 Chronicles 19:7, New International Version), doing no injustice and not being impartial to others (Leviticus 19:15). We, the citizens of America, should also learn from Dr. King’s dream to see how good and pleasant it is for people of all races and nationalities to dwell together with unity in public places for God’s glory.
Dr. King’s dream should inspire every American citizen to embrace freedom through Jesus Christ our Lord, for 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” We should learn to act as free men and not use our freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondservants of God, honoring all people, loving the brotherhood, fearing God, and honoring the king, Jesus (1 Peter 2:16-17). Dr. King’s dream should also teach us to be at peace with all men as much as possible and as far as it depends on each of us (Romans 12:18).
I pray that we, the American people, will keep Dr. King’s dream alive today and in the future, continuing the vision of racial equality for our nation by showing tolerance toward one another, regardless of our differences such as race, ethnicity, or nationality in our jobs and our neighborhood and public places—Kenneth Sullivan.