LIVING THE DREAM

It was over 50 years ago that Martin Luther King Jr delivered his speech, letting the world in on his dream, and in the same breath inspiring them, even inviting them to dream along with him. And today, as I celebrate Dr. King's life and legacy, I am confronted with the beautiful reality that in many, many ways, I am living the dream.

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."
Yesterday, I was able to sit at a table, eating, dreaming, and planning for the upcoming Clarkston Festival with black and white people alike. The committee was co-chaired by the wife of the pastor of Clarkston's First Baptist Church, which was, as it says on it's website, founded in 1881 by former slaves on donated land.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character." 
My four precious kids are hardly ever around people with their own skin color these days. At our School of the Arts, 18+ cultures come together on any given Saturday morning. And, my kids are right in the midst of it. Today, they spent the first few hours of their day picking up trash and cleaning up Clarkston alongside people from literally all over the world!

"I have a dream that...little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."
Last night, during the children's sermon at a local international congregation, my kids were sitting next to kids who were both African and African-American. And, as we worshiped together, singing "God is so good" in Portuguese, French, Lingala, English, and Swahili, we reveled in the manner of love the Father has given us that we should be His children, and as a result, brothers and sisters. 

"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together." 
 
I have dreams that are still yet to be fulfilled. For that matter, I have dreams that are still yet to be dreamed. But, for today, I am celebrating the dream that I am living, and the courage of one man to dream and inspire others with his dream.