Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in all 50 states, although two of those states still observe Robert E Lee Day on the third Monday of January as well. Just to refresh your memory, General Lee was the commander of the Confederate army which rebelled against the American union in an internal war which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 750,000 citizens. Lee was a slave-owner and a traitor, but why not recognize him on the same day as a Civil Rights icon?
Dr. King was a Baptist pastor who led a non-violent movement for change, with the goal that the constitution which declared all men and women equal would actually be true in practice. And King was masterful in calling on the Judeo/Christian scriptures as the bedrock for his message of justice, equality, and love.
Today King is quoted at every turn and lionized, yet in polls from the 1960's he was considered the most hated man in America. Many Blacks and People of Colour noted during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 that the King people are quick to quote was assassinated for his courageous leadership.
We might keep in mind today the the first time a Confederate flag was raised in the House of Congress,occurred during an a violent invasion of this the seat of American democracy on January 6th, 2021. Racism and hatred are still cancers in American society and in too many places around the planet.
It's worthwhile looking at the covenant or pledge the Ten Commandments for peaceful change signed by those who were part of the Civil Rights movement. While it isn't scripture, there is a scripture-inspired quality to these phrases which make it sacred.
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