Those who come before us

Every day there are those who have come before us. They are not of the past, but they are on our present being.  They are the ones that leave a mark on us and contribute to who each of us is.  Perhaps you have read of those who have left a mark on me at one time or another. Some of these saints are living and others have since died. 

Today is the anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King. Forty years ago he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  His words from the infamous speech "I have a dream" speak to me today in light of the shootings yesterday.   Those who died were living their dream seeking freedom and life as a US citizen. 

"Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring—when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics—will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)

And the freedom which we are given (both the freedom for people as Dr. King talks about and the free will we are given as children of God) is based in the context of community.  We are part of a community ... its not about me ... its about we ... its about us.  

We too come before others. 

Live and love accordingly.

Who have you thought of these past few minutes that made a mark on you?