The Irony of a Dream 60 Years Later
Me? Speak on something controversial?
If you were unaware, it was 60 years ago today that Martin Luther King, Jr, gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, DC.
This post is not about his politics or personal habits. It definitely is on his religion, but this post is focused on results seen six decades later.
Dreaming of the Content of Character
MLK’s dream was that his children and others would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
We definitely made great strides in that regard, and we definitely have some who still hold to the old prejudices.
The irony of today is the way hos speech and fight have been used.
I would argue that the reversal in course happened about 15 years ago.
Political Racism
The March on Washington was most definitely political, with hopes of getting the Civil Rights Act signed into law. (It happened a year later.)
Over the decades, we saw more people of color and differing ethnicities not only getting better education and jobs but also elected to offices.
In 2008, we began hearing how MLK’s dream was finally coming true with the election of Barack Obama to President of the United States of America.
At the same time, if we disagreed with him on anything, we were told it’s because we’re racist.
Isn’t that judging people based on the color of their skin rather than the content of their character?
The Irony of Antiracism+
Over the past 15 years, it has only gotten worse, not better.
We have blacks being segregated again … by blacks. And it has spread into other ethnicities and colors.
And it has spread into differing beliefs and genders and sexualities.
Today, everyone is judged by the color of their skin (by many people, not all.)
- White skin is evil
- Darker skin is better
- Black skin is good
It gets more convoluted interesting when we also have to consider gender or lack-there-of, sexuality, and economic status. And most of these are immutable-unless-they’re-not-because-science-but-really-preference-and-feelings, you hate-filled bigot.
The Dream
So, we see the irony that things are better but worse, because the oppressors can now be oppressed because of the color of their skin and stance on sexuality (that never changes, but we can change it, but only gender and sexuality but not ethnicity most of the time.)
Rather, let’s be reminded of the source of King’s dream: the gospel of Jesus Christ.
nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to inhabit all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’
Acts 17:25-28 LSB
Do not lie to one another, since you put off the old man with its evil practices, and have put on the new man who is being renewed to a full knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and freeman, but Christ is all and in all. So, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and graciously forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord graciously forgave you, so also should you. Above all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Colossians 3:9-14, LSB
Let us love each other in Christ, for there is one human race, showing compassion to others while standing on Truth.
a simple man of God 