Eternal
One, Creator and Sustainer of us all,
We know
that we have taken strides forward in overcoming hatred, in combating
intolerance, in fostering greater acceptance, and in establishing a sense of
equality. Yet, we have only
begun. Barriers still exist.
Prejudices still creep into the minds of too many people; bigotry still steals
its way into the human heart.
The
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called upon us to recognize the constant need
for action, whether in our struggle to eliminate inequities or to root out war
and conflict in our nation and our world. He said:
“We are
now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of NOW. In this unfolding conundrum of life and
history there is such a thing as being too late.
There is an invisible
book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect….We still
have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent coannihilation. This may well be our last chance to
choose between chaos and community.”
Through compassionate
policy, fervent belief, shared principle, common hope, coordinated action, may
we choose coexistence so that we will be, as we are here and now, a community –
one people – a beloved community based in genuine mutual concern– making Dr.
King’s dream our dream, and making that dream a reality.
So may
we go and do – and let us say amen.
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