I Had a Dream by Edward Biberman
"I have a dream..." So begins one of the most powerful speeches of the man whose life we remember this coming weekend. Martin Luther King, Jr's dream included his children, but it did not end there. It was a dream for all the children of the world, no matter their color, race or creed. His dream was the vision that propelled him into words and actions that forced the beginnings of a change still underway in our country.
What do we dream for our children? And, more importantly, what do we dream for the children of our neighbors, our nation, our world? I'm a novice at politics and economics, but I'm not a novice at dreaming. In some ways, the prayer that Jesus gave to his disciples has a phrase that sounds much like a dream: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done," he encourages them to pray to a heavenly Father. "on EARTH, as it is in heaven."
How we imagine this kingdom says a lot about how we imagine God. And Jesus came to give our imaginations some help - healing sick, caring for the poor, speaking of forgiveness, demonstrating love. Those who mourned were comforted, those who were marginalized were given a rightful spot in the new reality.
What do I want? What do I dream? What do I pray? Because the kingdom is not yet here and I am called to be a part of its creation.
