Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today we celebrate the life, times and dreams of Martin Luther King. But let me start by going back a few years to when John F. Kennedy was killed. Every year for a long time on the anniversary of JFK’s dead the media would ask if you remembered where your where when you heard the news that Kennedy was killed. My answer is yes, I can still remember where I was driving in my car and most likely can still mark the spot on the road to within a few feet when I heard the news on the car radio.

I have never heard this question asked about MLK’s death. No I can not remember where I was at the time, but I can remember with perfect clarity what went through my mind when I heard the news.

Imagine if you will a room with no furniture. In the center of the room towards the back wall is a single candle, it’s light illuminating the walls and ceiling. Slowly the flame starts to go out, it’s light receding back towards the candle, the walls nearest you slowly getting darker as the flame grows smaller. Smaller and smaller the flame becomes, as if in slow motion the light in the room seams to be going in toward the candle as the walls get darker. The flame finally goes out and the room is now totally dark, with nothing visible to your eyes.

That was the moment in time when I heard that Martin Luther King, Jr. had died.