The dreams of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy

Aeschylus wrote: “In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.”

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or they be black …

Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.

Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.

From the memorial of Robert F. Kennedy at Arlington Cemetery which includes immortal passages from his improvised speech in Indianapolis on the night that King was killed.

 

 

 

For heaven’s sake my heart

In these days of social media – what I considered private, even sacred moments of love, family, passions and relationships are now thrown onto the public domain.

A man proposes to a girl with much fanfare on reality TV or in a staged drama set up for You Tube.  I am not sure who started this trend, but the first public proposal I saw was

Gibran : The teachings of the Nazarene

Kahlil Gibran in ‘Spirits Rebellious’ has his character – a monk Kahlil – speak of the truth which he has learned from the teachings of the Nazarene :

“Vain are the beliefs and teachings that make man miserable and false is the goodness that leads him into sorrow and despair, for it is man’s purpose to be happy on this earth and lead the way to felicity and preach its gospel where he goes. 

He who does not see the kingdom of heaven in this life will never see it in the coming life.