{"id":18224,"date":"2024-01-13T13:39:40","date_gmt":"2024-01-13T19:39:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/?p=18224"},"modified":"2024-01-15T10:06:30","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T16:06:30","slug":"imagine-with-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/2024\/01\/imagine-with-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Imagine with Me"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cToo frequently we think we have to do spectacular things.\u00a0 Yet if we remember that the sea is actually made up of drops of water and each drop counts, each one of us can do our little bit where we are. Those little bits can come together and almost overwhelm the world.\u201d \u00a0<\/em>\u2013 Archbishop Desmond Tutu<\/p>\n

\n

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s \u201cI Have a Dream\u201d speech is one of the most significant speeches ever uttered in this country.\u00a0 His pursuit of love, leadership and faith helped bring civil rights to many and it exposed unjust systems.\u00a0 While his life was cut short by hatred, we give God thanks that his legacy of love continues.\u00a0 Today is the day we take time to appreciate and remember Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.\u2014 his life, his words, his work and his ongoing legacy.<\/p>\n

On this King holiday, I invite you to compare what was happening in the world during the civil rights movement and what is happening in the world now.\u00a0 Take some time to re-read King\u2019s A Letter From a Birmingham Jail<\/i> or Where Should We Go From Here<\/i> this week. How many of the issues happening then are still happening now? The players may have changed but the injustice, greed or marginalization is the same.\u00a0 Lord, help.<\/p>\n

When we listen to King\u2019s speeches or read his writings, it is challenging, profound, and inspiring.\u00a0 Because of his incredible impact on this country, we can start to think that only a few people, like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are called or able to do justice work. Of course, we know this isn\u2019t the case.\u00a0 What if every single one of us has something to do when it comes to creating a just world? \u00a0 This really isn\u2019t a question- it is a reminder.\u00a0 All of us have something to do when it comes to creating a just world.\u00a0 Will you imagine with me for a moment if each and every person took that to heart. Seriously, take a moment and imagine it with me.\u00a0 If every person, regardless of age, education level, skin color, tax bracket or vocation, would acknowledge that God has something for them to do in the work of justice and then they do it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do not know why God entrusts the work of God\u2019s kingdom into our clumsy hands\u2026\u00a0 But we are forever grateful that the Lord does not want to change the world without us.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What would you imagine?<\/h2>\n

We can tell ourselves something along the lines of, \u00a0\u2018I\u2019m not gifted like King, or have that kind of courage, so justice work must not be for me.\u2019\u00a0 You are right \u2014 you are not King, I\u2019m not King \u2014 but thank the Lord we don\u2019t have to be in order to do what the Lord is calling us to do.<\/p>\n

It is my prayer that today we will allow King\u2019s life and legacy to inspire us and then motivate us in our own justice work.<\/p>\n

God wants us to get involved in bringing justice to the world.\u00a0 There is a beautiful prayer in Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals<\/i>, that says, \u201cWe do not know why God entrusts the work of God\u2019s kingdom into our clumsy hands\u2026\u00a0 But we are forever grateful that the Lord does not want to change the world without us.\u201d<\/p>\n

So the invitation \u2014 or maybe it is more appropriate to call it a challenging\u00a0invitation \u2014 for us today is to ask the Lord, \u201cHow am I living out my faith by working for justice?\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of us are not called to lead anything like a March on Washington, but I can bet my bottom dollar that you are called and uniquely gifted and equipped for something. Justice is not something that just a handful of people pursue, it is part of every Christian walk with the Lord \u2014it is part of our spiritual transformation.\u00a0 We can\u2019t delegate it, outsource it or ignore it.\u00a0 Each of us has some part to play.\u00a0 So, look around \u2014 there is something in your neighborhood, something in your local community that needs your attention.\u00a0 Something in society is broken and you can help fix it.\u00a0 Something that will make the lives of your neighbors better or improve things for future generations.\u00a0 There is something.\u00a0 Your challenging invitation might be to help eradicate food deserts, to stop revisionist history from being taught in public schools, to increase access to mental health resources for children, to advocate for a covered bench at a bus stop so your neighbors can rest for a minute while waiting for public transportation.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what it is, but there is SOMETHING.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, we don\u2019t have to figure out what that something<\/i> is. You will discover it as you spend time with God and God will prepare you and point you in the direction you should go.\u00a0 God is already preparing the people you will need to connect with, learn from, and how you will be equipped\u00a0 for this something<\/i> that is for you.<\/p>\n

If you would like some guidance on figuring out what is your \u201csomething,\u201d you can use this link to join our Patreon<\/a> where we have a guided reflection that you can enter into by yourself or with others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cToo frequently we think we have to do spectacular things.\u00a0 Yet if we remember that the sea is actually made up of drops of water and each drop counts, each…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1018,"featured_media":18229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,4574],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beyond-words","category-justice"],"yoast_head":"\nImagine with Me - Transforming Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/2024\/01\/imagine-with-me\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Imagine with Me\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cToo frequently we think we have to do spectacular things.\u00a0 Yet if we remember that the sea is actually made up of drops of water and each drop counts, each…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/2024\/01\/imagine-with-me\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Transforming Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/transformingcenter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-01-13T19:39:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-01-15T16:06:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/martin-luther-king-jr-alt.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"384\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tina L. 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