Timeless Wisdom From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Had he not been prematurely taken from us by an assassin’s bullet, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have been 86 this year.

Even though he is gone, Dr. King’s words of wisdom, peace, and love live on. Here are some of my personal favorites:

1. “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. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others.”

2. “There are some things so dear, some things so precious, some things so eternally true, that they are worth dying for. And I submit to you that if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”

3. “When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.”

4. “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.”

5. “We are not wrong, we are not wrong in what we are doing. If we are wrong, the Supreme Court of this nation is wrong. If we are wrong, the Constitution of the United States is wrong. And if we are wrong, God Almighty is wrong. If we are wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a utopian dreamer that never came down to Earth. If we are wrong, justice is a lie, love has no meaning. And we are determined here in Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

6. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

7. “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

8. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

9. “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”

10. “We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

11. “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

12. “The time is always right to do the right thing.”

 

This article was originally published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org

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