|
"I
do not think of political power as an
end. Neither do I think of economic
power as an end. They are ingredients
in the objective that we seek in life.
And I think that end of that objective
is a truly brotherly society, the creation
of the beloved community" - Martin Luther
King, Jr.
While
utopian ideals have and continue to inspire
many, some have argued that envisioning
a more practical reality creates a tangible
and achievable goal that will make it
easier to inspire people to action to
create that reality. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. had this in mind when he promoted
the ideal but very real goal of creating
'the beloved community.' Dr. King envisioned
the Beloved Community as a global community
of brotherhood and sisterhood, where all
are included and treat each other without
bigotry, discrimination or racism. All
people will be seen as equals, and will
share in the abundance of the earth, so
that there will be no hunger, poverty
or homelessness. Everyone will be educated
with the tools and resources to work out
personal conflicts through peaceful conflict
resolution, and nations will resolve international
disputes through the same nonviolent means,
instead of engaging in military conflicts.
Dr. King believed that all conflicts can
be resolved without violence, and that
through reconciliation, adversaries can
learn to cooperate together in a spirit
of friendship and goodwill.
Dr.
King began promoting the concept of 'the
beloved community' in 1956, but the term
was first coined in the early 1900s by
Joisiah Royce, a philosopher and theologian
who founded the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
Dr. King, also a member of this organization,
popularized the phrase and developed it
more fully, so that today it is embraced
at the very heart of many organizations,
including The King Center, as well as
by many diverse faith-based groups and
churches.
|
