posted May 14, 2008
Martin Luther King once said, “I am convinced that love is the most durable power in the world. It is not an expression of impractical idealism, but of practical realism. Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, love is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. To return hate for hate does nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Someone must have sense enough and religion enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil, and this can only be done through love.”
Metaphorically speaking, fighting fire with fire just makes more fire, and eventually, someone will get severely burned. Burns cause scars, and scars stay forever. But you have to bring in the cool water to douse the fire. It is only weak people that are fighting that can’t lift the heavy water bucket. But the people who are strong in their religion and values are the ones that are strong enough to lift the water bucket to put out the fire and save the weak from potential scars.
Love, unlike water, is always clean and pure. But, it is a natural source, this kind coming from the soul. It is required to keep a sane community from burning down.
King was convinced that love is the most durable power in the world. You can love someone unconditionally, and soon the love starts to overwhelm them and there is nothing for them to do but love you back. Unconditional hate, being the opposite of love, works exactly the opposite as love does. It does absolutely nothing to the person you hate and it eats away at you and wears you out.
He preached this to the people of the South during the long, hard battle of racism and segregation. King knew that if they loved the whites, the struggle would end. And sure enough, the stronger person picked up the water bucket and put out the fire.
Olivia Townsend
Ringgold
| Dining Out | Business | Movies | Focus | About Us |
| Church | Living Well | Memories | Outdoors | Real Estate | Student Scene | Travel |