![]() ![]() In that life, Coretta Scott King knew danger she knew injustice she knew sudden and terrible grief. And when she spoke, America listened closely, because her voice carried the wisdom and goodness of a life well lived. Having loved a leader, she became a leader. By going forward with a strong and forgiving heart, Coretta Scott King not only secured her husband's legacy, she built her own. Others could cause her sorrow, but no one could make her bitter. Little did he know that this great truth would be proven in the life of the person he loved the most. Martin Luther King, Jr., had preached that unmerited suffering could have redemptive power. King recalled, "I would wake up in the morning, have my cry, then go in to them. Rarely has so much been asked of a pastor's wife, and rarely has so much been taken away. King left behind a grieving widow and little children. And they knew that the Son of God would never leave them or forsake them.īut some had to leave before their time, and Dr. The God of Isaiah and the prophets was still impatient with injustice. The God of Moses was not neutral about their captivity. ![]() Yet they also knew that sheriffs and mayors and Governors were not ultimately in control of events, that a greater authority was interested and very much in charge. They knew that much established authority was against them. They knew that nonviolence might be answered with violence. In the critical hours of the civil rights movement, there were always men and women of conscience at the heart of the drama. And because this young mother and father were not intimidated, millions of children they would never meet are now living in a better, more welcoming country. But she decided that her children needed more than a safe home they needed an America that upheld their equality and wrote their rights into law. Coretta had every right to count the cost and step back from the struggle. King's family was subjected to vicious words, threatening calls in the night, and a bombing at their house. Coretta eventually took on the duties of a pastor's wife and a calling that reached far beyond the doors of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. She once said, "Before I was a King, I was a Scott." And the Scotts were strong and righteous and brave in the face of wrong. Some here today knew her as a girl and saw something very special long before a young preacher proposed. She is rightly mourned, and she is deeply missed. This kind and gentle woman became one of the most admired Americans of our time. In all her years, Coretta Scott King showed that a person of conviction and strength could also be a beautiful soul. In decades of prominence, her dignity drew others to the unfinished work of justice. When she wore a veil at 40 years old, her dignity revealed the deepest trust in God and His purposes. As a great movement of history took shape, her dignity was a daily rebuke to the pettiness and cruelty of segregation. King in all the seasons of her life, and there was grace and beauty in every season. I've come today to offer the sympathy of our entire Nation at the passingof a woman who worked to make our Nation whole.Īmericans knew her husband only as a young man. Her journey was long and only briefly with a hand to hold. I join you in honoring him and the cause of brotherhood he served.To the King Family, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: We gather in God's house, in God's presence, to honor God's servant, Coretta Scott King. He taught us that whatever stands in the way of meeting needs can be overcome-even the inertia of the comfortable. We must renew our own commitment, must again tap that great power and use it to solve the problems that still face those he always championed, the poor and the oppressed. ![]() He became the worldwide symbol of the power of that principle and the cost of that commitment. The non-violence he practiced requires a spiritual, intellectual and even physical commitment a willingness to risk everything on the principle that you can love your enemies into submission to a higher good. Martin Luther King, Jr., left us guideposts: his dedication to breaking down the barriers that separated people and his vision of a world where a person's only limitations would be the individual's own will and ability to learn and use opportunities. This anniversary reminds us forcefully of what one life can mean and of what can be done in a relatively short time to remove the obstacles that have blocked the progress of human beings for generations.ĭr. Not yet half a century has passed since your husband's birth, and he has already been gone from us for almost a decade. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |