Who would continue forward, knowing death might await them?

Painted by JC Barnett III

This article is brought to you by Ivy Tech Community College - Kokomo Region.

When I was around nine or 10 years old, I remember standing in the living room of my childhood home, putting on my best Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. impression. I would raise my voice, stretch my words, and speak with as much passion as I could muster, delivering my own version of the “I Have a Dream” speech. My mom and sister sat nearby, cheering me on as I grew more animated.

I didn’t actually know Dr. King’s words. I made most of them up, but they would respond with a loud, encouraging “Well!” the way people do when a preacher hits a strong point from the pulpit. Looking back, even if I didn’t have the words right, I think I had the cadence and the tone pretty close.

I don’t fully know why Dr. King made such a deep impression on me at such a young age. Maybe it was his powerful speaking ability. Maybe it was his God-gifted voice that seemed to carry both authority and compassion at the same time. Or maybe it was an early appreciation for the work he did in the fight for civil rights. Whatever the reason, I can say with certainty that I’ve always held an intense admiration for the man.

As I’ve grown older and learned more about Dr. King and his life, my admiration has deepened, but it has also matured. I understand now more than ever that he wasn’t just an untouchable icon of American history, he was a man, a real man with faults and shortcomings, yet forgiven and sustained by our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That truth doesn’t diminish his legacy; it makes it more powerful.

I once read a book written by his father Martin Luther King Sr., affectionately known as “Daddy King.” In it, he describes a moment that feels almost like a last supper. Dr. King went alone to his parents’ home for dinner on a warm evening, the sun setting beautifully around them. During that visit, he shared the heavy reality that there was a contract out on his life. He tried to bring peace and comfort to his parents while making it clear that death could come at any moment. Still, he believed his work was too important, too unfinished, to stop.

Not long after, in Memphis, we know how the story ended. The question that lingers is this: how many of us would continue forward knowing the danger, knowing death might be waiting?

God bless Dr. King for the legacy he left: a legacy of freedom, courage, and obedience to the will of our Father in Heaven, even when the cost was everything. Happy MLK Day.