Is The Dream alive?
My children ask.
My own heart wonders.
When Dr. King rose to the podium in August of 1963, 250,000
people in front of him and the nation and world tuned in, he hadn’t planned to
speak of the dream. The magnificent gospel singer Mahalia Jackson who sat
behind him, shouted out “Martin, tell them about the dream.”
There are two themes in Dr. King’s speech in the moments
before he decides to share about The Dream that I think are worth visiting.
First, a litany of lines that begin with “We cannot be
satisfied until…”
He points out the many ways that racism continues to limit
those of color, despite advances that the Civil Rights Movement had made.
Dr. King’s words:
We cannot be satisfied as long as the colored
person’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.
We can never be satisfied as long as our
children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs
stating “for white only.”
We cannot be satisfied as long as a colored
person in Mississippi cannot vote and a colored person in New York believes he
has nothing for which to vote.
Today, we might update the list. Our country and world
still leaves behind too many, with greed and power threatening love and
justice. I encourage you to make your individual list, “I will not be satisfied
until ____”. Fill it in as many ways as you can. It might point you into directions
of service and leadership for 2026, places where you can work on The Dream.
Dr. King ends that section with a powerful line that still rings
true as a guide for today:
No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied
until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
The second theme comes in the line before he begins to
share about The Dream. Can you remember this line? It is an admittance that
there is good reason to want to give up. I sense that amongst my friends and
neighbors at the moment. Too much heaviness. Too much violence. Not enough
humanity and compassion. Not enough care for our ailing planet.
Here is the line:
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to
you, today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of
the moment,
I still have a dream.
It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
My brothers and sisters, we let the “I am not satisfied until…” to re-commit ourselves to our neighbors and communities, to the pursuit of a more just society, and to the work of The Beloved Community.
And we also
acknowledge the despair as something to be overcome together, in community.
And then, we say in unison with Dr. King that despite the
difficulties and frustrations of the moment, we are here to continue the work
of The Dream.
I will not be satisfied until every unhoused individual finds shelter if they so choose.
ReplyDeleteI will not be satisfied until every empty stomach is filled.
I will not be satisfied until we all realize that we are ONE with all of creation.
I Will be satisfied when Love is seen as the only reality.
T
.
Thank you for the beautiful ponder….
ReplyDeleteFrom MLK Jr.'s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in Dec 1964...
ReplyDelete"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant."
That starts with each of us in our immediate circle and ripples outward. Pass it on. Blessings...JR.
We cannot be satisfied until we empower our youth. We cannot be satisfied until we nurture our communities. We cannot be satisfied until we build sustainable initiatives that will benefit the earth and its vulnerable peoples beyond our lifetime. We cannot be satisfied until our lives come to their term. This exercise brought a saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to mind: "If the Final Hour comes while you have a shoot of a plant in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it." May we kindle hope in these crazy times by enjoining good and forbidding wrong. May the creator fill the hearts of the oppressed with power and light. May we be granted the patience and energy to carry the dream through the duration of our time on this earth.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this!
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ReplyDeleteI will not be satisfied until the health and well-being of children are at the center of all adult lives. Blessings...JR.
ReplyDeleteI will not be satisfied until Albuquerque is a place where Aeverie person has what they need to enjoy the pleasure of being alive. I will not be satisfied until everyone feels a sense that they belong to something larger than themselves, and they see that reflected in the structures and the faces around them.
ReplyDeleteI will not be satisfied until we can be free from genocide.
ReplyDeleteI will not be satisfied until racism is extinct.
I will not be satisfied until everyone can be treated as equal.
I will not be satisfied until we can live in a world where we are not divided by hate.
A Letter to MLK
ReplyDeleteDear Dr. King,
Here is my long overdue letter to you:
I will not be satisfied until we live with love and respect in our stewardship of this earth.
I will not be satisfied until our children are safe, well-housed, well-fed, and loved.
I will not be satisfied until all people without exception have access to health care, education, justice, and grace.
I will not be satisfied until we truly believe in the power of the creative arts to help us heal body, mind, and soul.
I will not be satisfied until we make honesty, integrity, and yes, love an active part of our everyday lives.
I will not be satisfied until we know from deep within that hate is the opposite of love, and that peaceful action and creativity are tools we can use to lift all of us up.
I will not be satisfied until every human being and possibly every animal can stand outside in the rising or the setting of the sun or in the brilliance of a starry night and feel the beauty and grace within which we live.
I will not be satisfied until we all experience a calm peace, with generosity and love, and use them as our moral compass and our guides.
I will not be satisfied until gratitude fills every heart to overflowing.
Thank you,
Teresa