Living the dream: the legacy we leave
Chris Pepple |
Lipscomb University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs invited students, faculty and community members to come together to reflect upon the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The program included music popular during his lifetime, photos from his journey during the civil rights movement and excerpts from his speeches and writings.
The event began with cake and punch to celebrate the January 15th birth date of Dr. King. Then jeff obafemi carr took the stage to reflect not only upon the theme of “Living the Dream” in regards to Dr. King’s dream, but also to reflect upon our individual dreams. Carr—motivational speaker, NPR radio host, co-star of the movie The Second Chance and co-author of a play entitled Ordinary Heroes—challenged those gathered to embrace the dreams God “paints inside their eyelids.” He adds, “Many of us have dreams and we get afraid to live them. But what God has for you is for you specifically. The dreams He paints on the inside of your eyelids, He can make them happen. If you are bold enough to embrace them, you can make those dreams come true.”
Carr reminded the audience that we are able to live the dreams we have because people went before us who sacrificed for our benefit. In a speech in Detroit in 1963, Dr. King said, “I submit to you that if a man hasn’t discovered something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” Carr reminded everyone that Dr. King sacrificed his life for the benefit of our entire nation. Carr then asked, “What is it we are willing to die for?”
Carr encouraged everyone by adding, “Never forget the legacy of those who went before us. Never forget the legacy we are responsible for leaving ourselves.” We should set standards for ourselves. We should invest time and energy into our dreams. We should pray and talk to God, then we should be quiet and listen to God. It is through prayer, mediation and revelation that we can find our dreams and find the courage to embrace them.
--Chris Pepple