Today, I am reflecting on the convicting words from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who in his Letter From a Birmingham Jail said:

“Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation.”

There’s so much hard work still to be done.

May I be one who works tirelessly for justice, co-laboring with Christ. May I always be known as an ally to the Black community, a minister of reconciliation, and a co-worker with God. May we ALL be aware of the time we have and remember the weighty responsibility to use it well and wisely.

God, give us the strength to speak up against injustice AND silence.