On the day we set aside to honor Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr, I think we all pause and reflect on the man, his vision, mission, and message. Who isn’t inspired by his passionate call to action? Rev. King was a master at blending passion and words to inspire change in the hearts of people. He invigorated us with an evolved vision for our world - a vision of truth, justice and liberty for ALL. His voice emboldened a community of people who had been oppressed, exploited and marginalized for 340 years, a community that in many ways is still fighting the good fight. There are rare times in history when the message transcends the man. Even though King lived and shared his message at a specific time and place and to a specific audience, it is as though he is still alive and speaking to us all today. We feel this way because his words transcend the personal. They are Universal Truths. And Universal Truths always inspire us to become better humans. For me, many of the Universal Truths spoken by Rev. King are at the core of my own beliefs and the behaviors I strive to emulate. They inform my mission. And they resonate with the God voice within that calls me to rise up and speak about a new world – a world of truth, justice and liberty for ALL, one of Universal Love and Peace. Sunrise by the Ocean by Vladimir Kush Yes, I too have a dream - that one day humans awaken to their Oneness with ALL that is, and act with Kindness and Compassion toward every sentient being; that no sentient being is treated like a thing, but is seen as a someone worthy of moral consideration, and is freed from exploitation. The lives of our animal brothers and sisters matter. A loving and peaceful future world demands that we change our ways and our relationship to them. I've seen the Promised Land. And I am committed to giving voice to it. As I do the important work that God has called me to do, I stand firmly on these powerful words of Rev. King: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” “I am concerned about a better world. I'm concerned about justice. I'm concerned about brotherhood. I'm concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about these, he can never advocate violence.” “We have before us the glorious opportunity to inject a new dimension of love into the veins of our civilization.” “And when I speak of love I’m not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality.” "Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people will get to the promised land!" Like Jesus whose central message was, “Love one another,” Martin Luther King was an agent of Love on this planet. The question before us is, “How far can we extend our Love?” Does it have to end at the boundary between races? Of course not. Does it have to end at the boundary between species? No, it absolutely does not. Divine Love knows no bounds. It is infinite. I feel grateful that my time on this earth had some overlap with the life of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. I was just nine years old when he died, but aware enough to know that a great, great soul left this plane. His essence remains with us today and his flame will likely never expire. Nearly 50 years after his death, we are still at work trying to manifest the dream he inspired us to envision. And we are still struggling to fully embrace the power of Love. Love will always call to us. Its voice will never wane. And Love knows that there is more for us to do, and more of us to consider. We have a journey ahead of us. And a lot of inspiration to fuel it. © carol saunders 2018 If you would like to join me in reducing violence on this planet and doing the least harm possible, here are some links to get your started:
http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/kickstart/kickstart-programs https://veganuary.com/sa/starter-kit/ https://forksmealplanner.com/?utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=navigation&utm_source=forksoverknives
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AuthorRev. Carol Saunders I am an ordained Unity and Interfaith minister, speaker, writer and lover of all life. In 2010 I founded a spiritual community in Deerfield, IL, a suburb of Chicago, and led it through mid-2021. In my current ministry I host a podcast called The Spiritual Forum and an annual Whole Planet Spirituality Retreat at Unity Village, Mo. Being a voice for the animals and a light for the spiritually-inclined who are willing to seriously examine the self and begin to awaken, are what Spirit has called me to be. I am here to support anyone who wants to move toward living in closer alignment with their deeply held spiritual values - i.e. sovereignty, freedom, love, peace and kindness. We have the power to change our world by changing ourselves. A first step is identifying and releasing all the cultural conditioning that normalizes cruelty and violence. Be Love. Be Peace. Be Kind. Today.
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