Monday, January 21 was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As we celebrate and reflect on King’s work and legacy, we are reminded of how courageous and bold he was in challenging systems of injustice.
With Martin Luther King Jr. as our example, we can strive to embody a deep passion for justice and to act from the conviction that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” King taught that it’s not enough to believe something is unjust. We must work together to actively pursue justice. We must hold ourselves and each other accountable for living out our beliefs and values, and not just talking about how society needs to change. King was clear that this is hard, disruptive work. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” MLK wrote, “injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.”
As we continue to reflect on what Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy means for us today, we call your attention to a recent letter from a coalition of national Catholic organizations to Congress, entitled “Facing the Moral Crisis: A Catholic Offer of Wisdom and Courage to Congress”.
Let King’s legacy energize us in the ongoing work to cultivate peace and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. Let us live out our values and beliefs in a courageous and compassionate way.
