ML King, April 4, 1967 at Riverside Church

Martin Luther King Day. So I give you his April 4, 1967 speech at Riverside Church in New York City - far better, truer, and less sentimental then his "I Have A Dream Speech," which is doubtless why the world likes that one better. As Gerry Rafferty sang, the world is living in its dream, but here Martin King is not talking about dreaming but about waking up!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

A year later to the day, he was murdered for saying these obvious things. How is it any different now, unless it's worse? Just as it is written, the fool returns to his folly as the dog returns to his vomit, and the sow, when washed, to wallowing in the mire.

It is as Jesus said. They murder the prophets, and then they build their tombs, name streets and schools and hospitals after them, and give them a monument and a national holiday. But listen! Don't they hate you just as much if you speak this word of his today, when it is truer than ever?

King reminds me a lot of Solomon, who like him also turned away from God and paid no attention to his own wisdom. It still pays for us to listen to Solomon today, and listen to his wisdom as he should have himself. So I listen to King when he's making this kind of sense, and so should you.