Daily Meditation for January 20, 2025

Today, we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King. A song from 1997 featured Martin, Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy, a group of great leaders. Here are some excerpts: “Anybody here seen my old friends Abraham, Martin and John? Can you tell me where they’ve gone? They freed lotta people. But it seems the good they die young … Didn’t you love the things that they stood for? Didn’t they try to find some good for you and me?” Yes, Lincoln was intent on healing deep divisions and ending the Civil War. Kennedy defied racism by using the rule of law to ensure civil rights for all citizens. King taught and practiced non-violence in organizing peaceful protests. They all were champions of equality and working respectfully for the common good. Where have their values gone in this time of fear, vengeance, cruelty, violence and racism? May Martin’s life inspire us to action against this erosion of our values.

By Mary Jackle, OSB