"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.""It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important."
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
"Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars."
"Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."
"Ten thousand fools proclaim themselves into obscurity, while one wise man forgets himself into immortality."
"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
"The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood."
"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
"The church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society."
"I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live."
"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men."
"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."
"Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"
3 comments:
Amen, Allan. What great quotes! Coming from what God made to be a great heart- of wisdom. Words worth remembering. And though he was imperfect, like the rest of us, he lived out those words, well.
(My favorite treatment of him, so far, is in Philip Yancey's book, "Soul Survivor". Points out the whole unvarnished truth, I think, putting him and his life, in the end, in a very good light, I believe.)
Ted:
Thanks for the comment. I have not read Yancey's book. It is interesting that we need at least twenty years in order to look back and evaluate someone's life and impact; something that seems quite difficult to do when caught up in the present moment.
Allan, A good point. Yancey in that book spells out the view of his church, in the South, during that time. MLK, Jr., could be seen only in the light of their view which saw his light as darkness when their light was really the darkness.
Seems like this is a necessary element, quite often, of being a prophetic witness to the kingdom of God come in Jesus, in this world.
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