Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated 50 years ago today, in the evening, while standing on a hotel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee.
The night before he was killed, Dr. King spoke at a church in Memphis. He had been receiving death threats for over 10 years but never shied away from public appearances.
“We’ve got some difficult days ahead, but it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop.”
“And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place, but I’m not concerned about that now, I just want to do God’s will.”
Let us all honor the memory of Dr. King by beginning every day with the strong desire to do God’s will. This isn’t a day to muddle through and hide in a crowd or a cubicle. This is a day of progress as led by the Holy Spirit.
A memorial plaque was placed at the Lorraine Motel where King was shot. The inscription is from Genesis 37:19-20 (abbreviated):
“They said one to another, Behold, here cometh the dreamer. Let us slay him and we shall see what becomes of his dreams.”
So much good has come from the dreams of Martin Luther King Jr.
