Editor’s Note: Eight days ago, our nation observed the annual holiday celebrating the birth, life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was a busy family weekend for me and Monday arrived without my paying much attention to this important celebration. In the past, I would read from one of Martin Luther King’s sermons or books and often participate in some way of remembering. As I read the blog post from my friend and editor Shirin McArthur with her reflections on this year’s celebration of MLK Jr., I wondered if I had been unconsciously discouraged from paying attention by the unrelenting assault on “DEI” and human rights by our nation’s current leadership.  That was a sad and frightening realization and question. 

As I thought about why I so admired Dr. King, I thought immediately of four virtues that guided his life. First was his unshakeable faith. This provided him with unbelievable courage in the face of hatred and the very real threat of death. Countless times, most people would have given up the civil rights battle. Dr. King and many others persisted and made progress. Finally, Dr. King lived out his gospel belief in forgiving those who persecuted him or others. Amazing love for all guided his ministry and shaped his legacy. This week’s post includes Shirin McArthur’s reflections from her blog post and some powerful quotes for us all to consider in these times of daily attacks on racial justice and kindness to all. 

I Also Have a Dream Today by Shirin McArthur 

This is the eleventh year I have lived in Arizona for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Did you know that Arizona was the last state to start officially commemorating this federal holiday? I didn’t realize that states could decide not to recognize federal holidays, but evidently states’ rights apply here too. Their official reasoning at the time? “Why should the State of Arizona pay employees for a holiday of a non-national leader?”

Of course, this masked racism generated blowback, with organizations, individuals, and performers boycotting Arizona and cancelling events in the state. I have no idea if that associated loss of income offset what the state “saved” by making state employees work on a federal holiday. It certainly generated bad press, failed ballot initiatives, more boycotts, and eventually a ballot initiative that passed in 1992.

Today, I ponder MLK’s dream of a country that judged its people not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I think about the character needed to stand up to bullies, racists, and fascists. A friend told me recently that she, as an Episcopal church leader, took part in a peaceful march in Arizona in 1991 to protest this refusal to recognize the holiday. At the time, that was an important stance to take, but it didn’t endanger her life. Today, taking such a stance brings a different set of possibilities.

As I think about MLK’s dream, I also realize how very far this country has fallen in recent years. Too many people become the targets of ICE agents because of the content of their character. This can include people willing to publicly publish the moral reasons why they don’t support the current president and his administration. This includes people serving as legal observers, bearing witness and documenting immoral and illegal acts for future prosecutions once this fascist reign is over. This includes people willing to get out on the streets to protest, record, and share what is happening to our peaceful neighbors, immigrants and true Natives alike. 

Like MLK, I dream of a peaceful future in which everyone is treated according to the content of their character. If that were to happen, just about every leader in the current administration would be behind bars. I pray it will happen soon, and I am grateful for all those who are doing their part, in large and small ways, to bring about that day.

What do you dream on this Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

This post appeared on Shirin McArthur’s blog on January 19, 2026 and is reprinted with permission. Find out more about Shirin and her writing and ministry at https://shirinmcarthur.com/blog/.

Quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for our consideration: 

Faith

“Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”
— Speech, 1963
(often cited from sermons and addresses during the Birmingham Campaign)

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
— Speech, 1960
(quoted in multiple collections, including The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr., ed. Coretta Scott King)

Courage

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
— Speech, New York City, 1965
(quoted in A Testament of Hope, ed. James M. Washington)

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.”
— Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Oslo, 1964

Perseverance

“If you can’t fly then run,
if you can’t run then walk,
if you can’t walk then crawl,
but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
— Speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, 1968
(also published posthumously in A Testament of Hope)

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
— “Love in Action,” sermon delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, 1957
(published in Strength to Love, 1963)

Commitment to Love

“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
— Strength to Love, 1963

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”
— Strength to Love, 1963