Martin Luther King, Jr.…

I had the opportunity to visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site today. I spent most of my time at the Visitor’s Center and the King Center. The Visitor’s Center chronicles Dr. King’s life along with segregation, integration and the civil rights movement. I must tell you; there were a number of times that I was moved to tears at the hatred that dominated so much of the United States during these times. It just appalled me to no end to see how something like this could have gone on for so long with a group of people (God’s creation) being treated as less than human. It is just despicable. Walking through the streets of Atlanta, I was thrilled to see the fruits of Dr. King's labor. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think race relations will ever be perfect, at least until Jesus’ return, but I think we have made major strides in the last thirty years. I was overwhelmed at the influence that Dr. King had and the change that he and those inspired by his life brought about. He is an excellent example of a man who was given a vision from God and carried it out faithfully to the end.

I also visited the King Center and saw Dr. and Mrs. King’s resting place in the middle of a large reflecting pond. The King Center offers displays on Dr. King, Mrs. King, Rosa Parks and Mahatma Ghandi. It focuses on nonviolent social change. Having taught this past year on Matthew 5:38-42, specifically on nonviolent resistance, this was extremely powerful. This inspires me to study more closely Jesus’ teachings and follow them as if he really meant what he said.

props for my pops...

My Dad has had a concern for the people of Darfur on his heart for the past few years. He lives in a development in Northern Virginia where they have an annual Christmas decorating competition for their homes. It has been amazing to see the time and money people put into this competition. Last year, someone in his development actually paid someone to design and install their.

Well, he recently put together a proposal for his idea: "Dark for Darfur", shown to the left. His idea is to have people calculate how much they would normally spend decorating their house with lights and instead of putting up the lights, donate that money to the Save Darfur Coalition funding the crucial awareness and advocacy programs that play a critical role in building the political pressure needed to end the crisis in Darfur. Unfortunately, this is not a political issue, it is a humanity issue. Yet through Save Darfur, it is our hope that the word gets out so that we will not longer stand quietly while a brother or sister is subjected to atrocities and genocide. Save Darfur enthusiastically accepted his proposal, so this year will be the kick-off of the campaign. Each person that commits to going Dark for Darfur with a donation will receive a yard sign bearing the logo above so you can let your neighbors know why your house is dark. I think this is an excellent way of raising awareness and taking a stand for our brothers and sisters on the other side of the globe. I encourage you to check it out at the website (which has just launched recently). Oh, and if you are too attached to the tradition and look of the lights, make a donation and go Dark for Darfur, one night, one night a week, whatever works for you.