Speaking Out
Once again, another national holiday to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is upon us, and people all over the nation will once again pause and reflect on the life of a great minister and a bold leader — a leader whose life was cut short on April 4, 1968, by an assassin's bullet.
Locally, there will be many programs and events geared toward remembering King, as well as his beloved wife, Coretta, and all of these events will be attended by members of our community, and as I have done for many years, I plan to attend as many events as possible as a pastor, president of the Rosa Parks Quiet Courage Committee, and also as a community leader.
For a moment here, I wish to reflect on what Dr. King would be thinking if he were still with us as we begin this new year.
First, I believe that if he were still alive, he would be honored by the tributes and recognition of his years on the battlefield of justice, but I believe he would be more honored by the bold actions of people who today are still victimized by hate, intolerance and the ever looming shadow of sometimes brutal and violent injustice.
Dr. King would be more honored by those who boldly turn away from being complacent and unconcerned about injustice and brutality happening right in their own neighborhoods. He would be more honored by the unwavering and unconditional conviction of those who refuse to stand quietly by while the steamroller of senseless hate based on race and religion rolls over us with a relentless lack of mercy, even toward our most innocent and precious — our young children.
During the 2018 King Celebration, we must be mindful of the fact that while marches, banquets and speeches and related annual events are all well and good in their place, they can never take the place of bold and decisive action against hate and racism whenever and however we can.
Our silence and apathy in the face of terrible events that take place in our nation, world and community hurt us, and just give even more motivation to those who act out in such evil and violent ways.
Finally, as a pastor and community leader, I am firmly convinced that if all of us do our respective parts with the gifts and graces bestowed upon us by God, and if we are willing to promote peace, love, unity, and justice anywhere and everywhere, and not just during the King Celebration or any other special events during the calendar year, we will let it be known near and far that we who love and appreciate the concepts of justice and peace will not be deterred.
This must be a goal, and this must be our purpose as we go forth in this new year.
We might not always be able to stop the hate and be free of the haters, but we can let it be known that our voices will never fall silent, our courage will never waver, and our determination will never weaken as long as we live!
The Rev. Milford L. Griner is association pastor of Bartley Temple United Methodist Church in east Gainesville.