Friendship Baptist Church Kansas City, Missouri
56 Years Later...
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Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. - Joshua 1:2-3

 

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Fifty-six years ago the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American clergyman and civil rights movement leader, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. It was almost exactly one year before I was born. I remain deeply moved by Dr. King's ministry and mentality as it relates to injustice and civil rights. He was a brilliant individual with incredible oratorical skill and possessed an undeniable anointing by God to do God's work. He was one of the many and varied voices for social change in American during the Civil Rights era.

 

Fifty-six years later, it appears that our society is in reverse on the issues of discrimination, justice, equality and equity, as well as civil discourse and peaceful protest. The voting rights act of 1965 is largely ignored by the very people it sought to defend. Over 75% of register voters in Kansas City did not exercise the right to vote in a recent election. Efforts are being made in this country to enact legislation that will eliminate economic and education policies meant to level the field for people of color and provide equal access to essential goods and services for a better quality of life for all individuals. 

 

History is being erased or rewritten to ignore the painful past of slavery, lynching, Jim Crow laws and discriminatory practices that have marked the history of our country. It is necessary that we  remember.

 

Fifty-six years later, after MLK was killed, we must like Joshua after the death of Moses, realized that God is still with us. We must continue to move forward. We must continue the struggle, teach our children, set a good example in conduct, oppose discrimination, contend for equity and equality , speak against gun violence, promote mental health awareness and create a more civil and peaceful world. We must strive to be our best person, create safe communities and love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

 

Fifty-six years later... 

 

 

Let us pray:
Ever present God, you called us to be in relationship with one another and promised to dwell wherever two or three are gathered. In our community, we are many different people; we come from many different places, have many different cultures. Open our hearts that we may be bold in finding the riches of inclusion and the treasures of diversity among us. We pray in faith.

- Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

 


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3530 Chelsea Drive Kansas City, Missouri 64128
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