“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
I have the good fortune to live less than a ten-minute walk from the “I Have a Dream Memorial” in City Park here in Denver. Since I walk by it several times a week on my walks through the park, I often reflect on the short life and huge legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
This weekend at church, I learned something new about his message of love. He talked about how he didn’t always like someone or like their actions, but he knew he was called to love them.
I’d never thought about liking and loving that way and it resonated deep within me. Bringing love to situations that I don’t necessarily like calls me to act from the better part of me. If I see all of my words and actions on a continuum from the darkest/meanest part of me to the lightest/kindest part of me, then I chose to make a practice of choosing the love end of the spectrum more.
While it certainly isn’t always easy to love someone or some situation that I don’t like, I absolutely know it is worth the spiritual practice and spiritual discipline. I am deeply and humbly grateful for the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. His message inspires me to do my part in leaving my own legacy of love.
Would you like to join me? What message is calling you right now? How can you more fully live something that you value, something that calls to you as yours to do? Feel free to post your answers in the “Comments.”
