Quotes From History: Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have heard some crazy insults lobbed at the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. by a few Christians and some conservatives, which is ironic because King was himself a devout follower of Christ. The insults always frame King as a left- wing opportunist, as if he said a bunch of meaningless rhetoric that just so happened to be preserved in history by a handful of powerful but desperate liberals. Apparently to some, fighting with one’s life for equality is a partisan scheme.

Time has been sparse for me over the past couple of weeks so I’ll share just a few quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. The quotes will serve as sort of an intro into topics I’m going to write about over the next few weeks.

Quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr.:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.

 It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it.

 He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.

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

A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.

Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.

Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies – or else? The chain reaction of evil – hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars – must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.

A quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. that gives me hope these days:

A lie cannot live.

And finally, a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. that I pray becomes a mindset, for myself and for you:

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.