We are still marching. Not just here, in the United States, but all over the world. Just ask voters in Iran and Afghanistan. There is still work to be done. So, we keep on marching.
I have always been fascinated by the march -- the simple act of walking peacefully, yet very intentionally, in solidarity. It is surprisingly powerful (or, at least, I am often surprised by its power). This is the subject of this week's featured artist, Joe Dolce, in his song, Marchin' with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We're marching, "but still have a little ways to go."
One of the things that I love about this song is that it remains optimistic in the power of the march. Unlike Ben Harper's How Many Miles Must we March? (and just for the record, I love Ben Harper), which rings of frustration, Marchin' with MLK speaks of our collective power: "We'll walk together... we won't get weary."
I have participated in a number of marches in my lifetime. But, I cannot even begin to imagine what was on the line in Montgomery and the cities that followed. But, one ingredient that I believe was key to the success of those marches (and any other march) was peace. In those days, before the daily bus boycotts... before the marches... before the speeches... Dr. King invited the people to pray with him. They prayed to be strong, but to remain resolute in their peacefulness.
I invite you to listen to Joe's song. Listen to the words: "Marchin' with some forgiveness in my heart, so healing can come."
Yep. That about says it. Healing only comes with forgiveness. And, although there may be an awful lot of things in the world that many people cannot even begin to forgive. Eventually, we must... or our wounds will only fester. And in keeping with the subject of peacefulness and forgiveness... don't forget to check out your local Peace Day events. It's 9/21, so there's still time to find out what's going on in your community. For more information, check out these websites:
