Make it a Day ON, Not a Day Off! Did you know Martin Luther King, Jr Day is the only federal holiday designated as one of national service? Dr. King had a vision of a “beloved community,” where people of different backgrounds and races recognize how interconnected we all are. Serving others on this day is a step toward honoring that vision.
“The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opposers into friends. The type of love that I stress here is not eros, a sort of esthetic or romantic love; not philia, a sort of reciprocal love between personal friends; but it is agape which is understanding goodwill for all men. It is an overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. It is the love of God working in the lives of men. This is the love that may well be the salvation of our civilization.”
“The Role of the Church in Facing the Nation’s Chief Moral Dilemma”
– Martin Luther King, Jr, 1957.
MLK Day, is always the third Monday of January. It is a day when people from all over the country, focus on serving in their communities, turning their attention to folks across the street or a few blocks down. Projects run the gamut: from playing bingo with the elderly, writing letters to soldiers overseas, to helping with projects already planned in your community. The Corporation for National and Community Service has been tasked with leading this effort, but you, obviously, have the freedom to do your own project and get a group to join you. Your choice.
Dr. King once said, “I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.”
He also said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”
What about you? How will you answer? Have you considered getting involved with one of our local missions partners?
