You may recognize the above song as “MLK” by U2, the version above originally appearing on the “Rattle and Hum” DVD.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was no stranger to injustice. To a group of Southern Christian Leaders he spoke these immortal words:
“I must confess, my friends, the road ahead will not always be smooth. There will be still rocky places of frustration and meandering points of bewilderment. There will be inevitable setbacks here and there. There will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair. Our dreams will sometimes be shattered and our ethereal hopes blasted. We may again with tear-drenched eyes have to stand before the bier of some courageous civil rights worker whose life will be snuffed out by the dastardly acts of bloodthirsty mobs. Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future. … When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.”
As we look around at the world today we are reminded of those “rocky places of frustration” that King spoke of which such eloquence. But we are quite equally wise to recall the promise that history’s “arc…bends toward justice.”
Justice and mercy seem elusive concepts in today’s world. But it is a vital part of the Christian mission to address such social issues as poverty, slavery and – in the light of recent events, natural disaster.
I’d encourage you to be involved in any way you can. I will post some links in this post, as well as dedicate part of the sidebar (to your right) to these links as well.
May we remember Dr. King’s dream, but realize his – our dream – is far from over.
Compassion International is sponsoring 65,000 children in Haiti alone.
World Vision is doing various forms of disaster relief work, including child sponsorship and encouraging church involvement.
Samaritan’s Purse is doing various relief work and is attempting to provide 500,000 gallons of water daily.
Convoy of Hope is providing relief supplies and feeding 7,000 children daily.
