The photo you see here is of the giant stone carving of Martin Luther King, Jr. at the new memorial in Washington, D.C.  More on that in a minute.

As we celebrate the life of King today, I reflect on how so many of us wish there were more like him in our present world.  Brilliant leader.  Visionary.  Men of peace, compassion and conviction.

In fact, I was just talking to a co-worker (Lou Russo from Lou & Liz in the Morning at our sister station, 94.3 The Point) who made the very astute comment, "Can you imagine King using a teleprompter?  Wouldn't be happening.  He was too honest--- it all came from the heart."  We both agreed that we couldn't think of anyone in leadership, or aspiring to leadership, who could truly be thought of as honest or sincere.

Of course, King was a Baptist minister, not a politician, but he still, of course, changed the political landscape in an enormous way.  His work to advance civil rights by following the non-violent teachings of Mahatma Gandhi will forever inspire so many of us, who long for a world free of violent conflict.  He surely walked his talk as a minister, preaching brotherly love, taking a stand against injustice and for the freedom and dignity of oppressed people, and working toward his dream of a color-blind society.

The long awaited tribute to King, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. opened this past August.  It's centerpiece, shown in the photo, is based on a line from King's "I Have a Dream" speech:  "Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope."  The 30 foot high relief of King named the "Stone of Hope" stands past two other pieces of granite that symbolize the "mountain of despair".

King may not be here to lead us anymore, but when we despair of the suffering and injustice in this world, let's hold onto the hope that one day Dr. King's dream of brotherhood and peace will come true.

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome below.

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