Very few speeches have the power to truly move my soul these days. Occasionally, I simply have to listen to those public figures who stirred me to think differently and act with greater compassion. One of those figures is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Few individuals can deliver a message with the conviction and power of this great leader. It is fitting that we have a day to celebrate the birth of such a gift to our nation.
“I Have a Dream” is my favorite of all King’s speeches and it is available in its entirety in the video accompanying this article. In this powerful message, King sees a nation in which men and women of all colors unite in a common effort to bring the dreams of peace for all into reality.
In the current state of affairs in our country, such a message of united effort for the good of all needs to be extended from the realm of color to that of any concept that divides us and lessens our individual and collective abilities to act from compassion, honor, integrity, and truth. This includes the political and religious divisions that create estrangement among us.
Following is a prayer written by Marianne Williamson, from her book “Illuminata: Thoughts, Prayers, Rites of Passage.” I believe Dr. King would emphatically join the voices raised in such a prayer for America, especially on the day set aside to honor his work.
Dear God,
We join in prayer to celebrate this nation and surrender its destiny to You.
We give thanks in our hearts for the founding of this country.
We give thanks for and bless the souls of those who came before us to found this nation, to
nurture and to save it.
We ask that God’s spirit now fill our hearts with righteousness.
May we play our parts in the healing and the furtherance of our country.
May we be cleansed of all destructive thoughts.
May judgment of others, bigotry, racism, and intolerance be washed clean from our hearts.
May our minds be filled with the thoughts of God,
His unconditional love and His acceptance of all people.
May this nation be forgiven its transgressions against the African-Americans, Native
Americans, and any and all others.
May our lives be turned into instruments of resurrection, that the sins of our fathers might
be reversed through us.
May the beauty and the greatness of this land burst forth once more in the hearts of its
people.
May the dreams of our forefathers be realized in us, that we might live in honesty and
integrity and excellence with our neighbors.
May this country once again become a light unto the nations of hope and goodness and
peace and freedom.
May violence and darkness be cast out of our midst.
May hatred no longer find fertile ground in which to grow here.
May all of us feel God’s grace upon us.
Reignite, dear God, the spirit of truth in our hearts.
May our nation be given a new light, the sacred fire that once shone so bright from shore to
shore.
May we be repaired.
May we be forgiven.
May our children be blessed.
May we be renewed.
Dear God, please bless America.
Amen.
For residents of Columbus, Georgia, who seek a spiritual community that nurtures the interconnections between all people and cultures, the following five Unity churches are within driving distance:
- Unity of Albany (GA) – approximately 75 miles from Columbus, GA. Address for services at 11 a.m. on Sundays is 178 Hugh Road, Leesburg, GA. Phone: (229) 435-1001.
- Unity of Montgomery (AL) Spiritual Center – approximately 77 miles from Columbus, GA. Address for services at 11 a.m. on Sundays is 1922 Walnut Street, Montgomery, AL 36106. Phone: (334) 263-1225.
- Unity Spiritual Life Center of Central Georgia - formerly Unity in the Heart of Georgia (Byron, GA) – approximately 78 miles from Columbus, GA. Address for services at 11 a.m. on Sundays is 127 Peachtree Parkway #701, Byron, GA. Phone: (478) 737-7537.
- Unity South Atlanta Church (Jonesboro, GA) – approximately 84 miles from Columbus, GA. Address for services at 10 a.m. on Sundays is 7541 Mt. Zion Boulevard, Jonesboro, GA. Phone: (404) 578-3033.
- Unity of Dothan (AL) – approximately 90 miles from Columbus, GA. Address for services at 11 a.m. on Sundays is 942 South Oates, Dothan, AL 36301. Phone: (334) 794-2840.
Home Study Resources for Residents of Columbus, Georgia
Available on Amazon is the following text: “Illuminata: Thoughts, Prayers, Rites of Passage“ by Marianne Williamson ($10.08 in paperback; $16.47 in hardcover; $12.60 as an audio download).
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