The Dream Must Live On

Editor’s Note: It’s another Sit & Listen Saturday from Devotionals Daily. Listen to today’s devotion from Rosa Parks on the blog or on your Alexa Device by asking Alexa to read today’s devotion.

The Dream Must Live On

Martin Luther King Jr. set a profound example for me in day-to-day living. He was such a young man — just twenty-six years old — when I first met him at the beginning of the bus boycott. I was forty-two.

I’ll always remember the way Dr. King would respond to violence. He would use the same words that Jesus said on the cross:

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Brutality was to be received with love, he would say. Though I knew we needed to strive for nonviolence, when I saw the brutal treatment some of us got, I had trouble believing it was always the best thing to do.

Dr. King was a true leader. I never sensed fear in him. I just felt as though he knew what had to be done and took the leading role without regard to consequences. I knew he was destined to do great things. He had an elegance about him and a speaking style that let you know where you stood and inspired you to do the best you could. He truly is a role model for us all. The sacrifice of his life should never be forgotten, and his dream must live on.

Excerpted with permission from Reflections of Rosa Parks by Rosa Parks and Gregory J. Reed, copyright Rosa L. Parks.

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Your Turn

Dr. King took Luke 23:34 to heart and his life impacted generations worldwide after him. What would happen if we responded with love today? Come share with us on our blog. We want to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily