“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”

Reflections on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this weekend.

As we go into the weekend honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I’m reflecting on his life. I recently read the book April 4, 1968, by Michael Eric Dyson and I learned so much more about him as a person. His life reminds me that you don’t need to be a “perfect” person to make an impact. It’s about living out your message, values, and putting the greater good before personal gain. He led a revolution of equality, peaceful protest, and love, and yet he didn’t get straight As, he wasn’t a flawless husband, he was known to “overeat”, and he severely struggled with depression — I mean, wouldn’t you considering the racial injustice and if you were surveilled by the FBI your entire adult life? But what moved me most about the way he lived was how he turned his personal pain into the power to inspire generations. That is the definition of great leadership — to offer your gifts to the world and pursue what is just.

This is all to say that throughout his life our government thought of him as an enemy of the state... and now he’s honored for his sacrifices and leadership.

Do not be a person “of the times” because the times can lead you astray— be a person whose values and actions are rooted in justice, truth, and light. My favorite quote of his is this: “Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”