In light of the tumultuous events of this past week, the only logical choice was to look to Dr. King for wisdom this weekend. We are living through extraordinary times, but so was he. By some measures, we have come a long way since these words were spoken. By other measures, little has changed in our world.
As we grieve, let us consider the outstanding words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“First we must unflinchingly face our fears and honestly ask ourselves why are we afraid. This confrontation will, to some measure, grant us power. We shall never be cured of fear by escapism or repression, for the more we attempt to ignore and repress our fears, the more we multiply our inner conflicts…By looking squarely and honestly at our fears we learn that many of them resides in some childhood need or apprehension… By bringing our fears to the forefront of consciousness, we may find them to be more imaginary than real. Some of them will turn out to be snakes under the carpet.”
“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward in spite of obstacles and frightening situations; cowardice is a submissive surrender to circumstance. Courageous men never lose the zest for living even though their life is zestless; cowardly men, overwhelmed by the uncertainties of life, lose the will to live. We must constantly build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear. ”
“Envy, jealousy, a lack of self confidence, a feeling of insecurity, and a haunting sense of inferiority are all rooted in fear. Is there a cure for these annoying fears that pervert our personal lives? Yes, a deep and abiding commitment to the way of love. “Perfect love casteth out fear.” Hatred and bitterness can never cure the disease of fear; only love can do that.”
Excerpts from a sermon Dr. King preached on fear in 1962. Source
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