Let Freedom Ring

Quote of the day: “The time is always right to do the right thing.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This evening my husband and I attended an event that was honoring Donna, a colleague of ours, as an “Unsung Hero.” She is so deserving of this honor, which acknowledges people in the community who have been doing incredible work, but aren’t recognized for it. The event and award are in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It was an emotionally moving event, although it doesn’t take much to turn on my well of emotions these days. Honestly, since I’ve been writing regularly and tapping into my spirit, I find myself even more sensitive than I normally am. The floodgates are opening…watch out!

I was overwhelmed with joy for Donna to have her moment in the spotlight. No matter who you are in this world and how humble you may be, it always feels so good, deep down to the core of your being, to be loved back for all the loving you do for others. Even though the greatest gift is in the giving, there is tremendous comfort in the receiving. Tonight was Donna’s night to receive and I felt incredible for her.

What also moved me deeply was a performance by the university’s black choral ensemble. Their first piece was nice, but their second piece—it was thrilling. It started off like most acapella songs—smooth, controlled and in harmony. And then, little by little, the choral broke out into distinct vocal sections and the conductor began to take the song in a new direction. He started with the bass-line group that continued to repeat the bottom layer of the song, and then one group would jump in at a different place, and then another group, and then another, and then he would slowly swing his arms up to the side, like a bird that’s about to take off in flight, only to circle their voices back down again, to the single bass line. He repeated this pattern for four full cycles and then just when you think you had enough, the conductor lifted the voices of the choir through the bodies of the 300+ people in the audience and we all took flight and soared for what felt to be eternity. And as our spirits landed perfectly on the ground, the conductor let the wind out of our sails with the softest of exhales. It was beautiful.

Shown intermittently throughout the event were video clips and sound bites of Dr. King. This is where I heard the quote of the day, “The time is always right to do the right thing.” When I heard him saying it through the echoing speakers at the Dome, time stood still. It was as if the proverb had swallowed me up inside of it, and it took my breath away.

Like most people, I’ve always been so moved by the words of Dr. King. Just the sound of his voice turns on my well water. His unbelievably passionate pursuit of truth, justice and equality through love penetrates my body, then grabs my soul and places her on the outside as if I’ve found my kin. He just gets it—life, love and humanity.

This particular quote of his speaks to the better nature of all of us. It signifies a common moral foundation that we all share as humans and it calls on us to live life accordingly, at all times, and at all costs. And to personalize his words, relating it to the problems we may face in our own lives, I find tremendous freedom in the urgency to live in a way that’s right, and just, for me.

May we all find comfort in the words of Dr. King, for truth and justice through acts of love will always bring us closer to each other, closer to our Selves, and closer to God.