A Day of Great Sorrow, and Somber Contemplation (Patreon)
Content
Today has been a day of great sorrow and contemplation for me. Sorrow for the losses of 2020, and all the losses to come in 2021, and contemplation of the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
MLK was a shining example of courage, conviction, and forbearance. Unlike the posers of today, tweeting from the comfort of their couches for social justice, Martin Luther King Jr. put his freedom, his safety, and ultimately his life on the line, not merely to fight for equality, but also in a firm resolve to never lose his faith in humanity.
,It takes optimism to believe that things can get better in the world despite all the darkness.
It takes great strength to return injury with kindness, insult with patience. Too often we respond to the slings and arrows of life with anger. I am guilty of this, and my failures only make me appreciate his example all the more, and resolve to do better.
I regret the moments of pettiness and anger in my life. The stupid urge to return pain for pain, insult for insult, making of this world a kingdom of the blind firmly committed to the principle of an eye for an eye as they stumble bitterly in their darkness. I am guilty of being governed by passion, a harsh word, an unkind thought. This nation too is engulfed in so much anger, so much sadness, that I despair for the future. But I hope that in this new year, I will be able to keep the example of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in mind, a man who truly turned the other cheek, never gave up his humanity, and never lost his way. May the rest of the world also strive to keep his shining example in our thoughts. Rest in peace MLK.