Posted: under "A Slice Of Life", Inspirationals.
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By: Frank Gilliard
***
I have a dream that my four little children will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
***
On the eve of commemorating the contributions of a great American freedom fighter and philosopher let us take a fresh look at one of the tenets of his dream; “That one day humankind would be freed from the prison of its skin.” Growing up black in a society where the first criteria for determining a person’s value was skin color influenced how I established my own self worth. Over the years, I have been able to escape many of the boundaries that were set by our society but unfortunately, this facet of our barbaric nature remain, and continues to prevent us, as a society, from discovering God’s image and likeness in one another. ***
However, this exposition is not about being black or being discriminated against; it is about being free to be human, and free to blossom into whatever it is within us to become. It is about humanity growing up, and dismissing our valueless differences to embrace our invaluable likeness. It is about disregarding the differences that we exploit, and accepting the likeness in us which we can not deny or escape. God made all of humanity in His likeness. Our penchant to place value on God’s work is obviously insidious given the fact that we value a rose above a carnation, a diamond above a ruby, one type of animal above another, and etc, etc. ***
It is ironic that we will honor the dreams and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 19th of January, and inaugurate Barack Obama as president of the United States of America on the very next day. I pray that this nation, rather that this world, will finally hear God, and realize that God was not discriminatory in the creation of humankind. Could God have spoken this truth any louder than to place a man that represents the mixture of many cultures, and a bi-racial heritage at the helm of the most powerful nation on earth? ***
Today, I have a dream, that there will be a great awakening all over the world. I have a dream, that humankind will rise above its narrow views of human diversity, and embrace our differences with open minds, and open hearts. I have a dream, that no child will have to overcome the stumbling block of nationality, race or economic status to be somebody in society. I have a dream that no longer will a person’s religious orientation become a noose around their neck. I have a dream, that every human being will have an opportunity to experience the appreciation of their society for the contributions that they make in spite of who they are or where they came from. Finally, I have a dream that love will conquer fear, and human beings will learn to honor and respect life regardless of what skin it is in. ***
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