Yesterday, on the holiday commemorating civil rights leader
Martin Luther King, Jr., I took a look at some of his quotes on tolerance. An argument can be made that his entire adult
life modeled tolerance. The road toward
racial equity was bumpy and quite dangerous.
Wiley Branton, the father of one of my best friends, Richard
Branton, was a contemporary of Dr. King, and had prominent roles in the civil
rights movement in the 1960’s. I recall Richard
telling me that he and his brother and sisters were “always good little boys
and girls. We never wanted to cause our
father any trouble, because we never knew, when he left for work in the
morning, if he’d come home again.”
Dangerous times, indeed. And Dr. King did not come home
from work one day in April, 1968.
Dr. King preached resistance to injustice and oppression
through nonviolent means. His words
speak to us today – especially today.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of
challenge and controversy."[1]
Moral courage needs to be
nourished. If we practice on small
matters – calling out a co-worker on an inappropriate joke, for instance – we
will be better prepared when we are called upon to confront the big issues.
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our
enemies, but the silence of our friends."[2]
This calls to mind the famous quote
from Martin Niemöller
about his complicity in the Nazi takeover in Germany, “First they came for the
Socialists…. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for
me.”[3] Isn’t it easier to defeat injustice in its
earliest stages?
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: Only light can do
that. Hate cannot drive out hate: Only love can do that."[4]
Calling names doesn’t drive out
darkness. Excluding folks just because
of their creed, color or political views does not drive out hate. And combating hate with love is not without
risk. It takes true moral courage.
We should often reflect on our actions and how they affect
others. And, not be too hard on
ourselves, as we all fall short of the mark.
But that is neither a reason to settle for less or excuse our
shortcomings.
We owe it to ourselves and our community to do the best we
can with the tools we have.
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