Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

I have a dream that one day out in the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character.

I have a dream today.

I have heard Martin Luther King Jr's speech many times in my life and every time it has lifted my spirits and simultaneously made me weep. I believe in that dream. I will always believe in our dream. We each stand in the beauty and the stark light of reality to see our differences and celebrate them. Our children are safe and happy. Our families are connected. Our beloved communities are one. Nothing can take that away from me. I believe in that dream because it is part of the energy that lives in me.

There are people who claim to be following a spiritual path or are deeply rooted in dogmatic religion, but fail to recognize that their faith is the key to reconnecting our society and bringing the Dream to life. If this is the path that we are on, we have to open our eyes to be able to actually see, recognize, and acknowledge that social justice and inclusion require the connection to our faith, our spirituality, and love for all of humanity.

When I embrace the wisdom of the Enneagram and continue my inner work it is a Divine Yes in the alignment of my body, head, and heart, and it lives within my soul. I know in my mind that we are all connected and that the connection must be honored and nurtured. I know in my gut that the connection that we all share is vital to the survival and perpetuation of all of us as a species. I know in my heart that we can embrace people from all backgrounds in the dimensions of our diversity. We can recognize that we were all created to exist in this universe together through grace, integrity, and love. And this original bond that we share gives each and everyone of us a connection that we cannot undo.

Despite this wholeness I feel within me, I am also acutely aware that racism, sexism, homophobia, class discrimination, and all systems of othering have damaged all who reside in these human bodies. In order to honor the Dream and our connection we must work together, live together, be together. We can dismantle the systems that divide us. We can overcome the challenges faced by our sisters, brothers, and siblings who have been pushed to the margins of society. We can find a path back to our own humanity. We can honor the reality that one day there will be justice and there will be peace. And that day is upon us.

We can do better.

We should do better.

We will do better.

Together We Can Know Justice and Know Peace.