'I Have a Dream' World Peace Rose Garden
Eyes on Christ Roundup and Dr. MLK, Jr. Day
Welcome to Eyes on Christ, a weekly letter from my heart to yours. Started in the summer of 2008 for spiritual accountability, I changed to the Substack platform last August. Today, I offer a summary and a roundup of my writings from Aug. 7 - Jan. 8 and in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I reflect on ‘I Have a Dream’ and the World Peace Rose Garden in Atlanta, GA. As always, thank you for reading.
Housekeeping
1. Eyes on Christ can also be listened (and read) on the Substack App which can be downloaded from the App store.
2. Please check out Notes #1 and #2 for information about group subscriptions and a reader’s answer to my question last week: How are you experiencing God every day?
Eyes on Christ Roundup, 7 Aug. 2023 - 8 Jan. 2024
I published a total of 26 articles (excluding today) and the monthly breakdown is: Aug = 6; Sept = 5; Oct = 5; Nov = 3; Dec = 5; Jan 1st, 8th = 2. Themes and topics included restoration, resilience, community, connections, financial freedom, dignified work, cultural intersections, gardens, libraries, women’s fellowship, literature, and Artificial Intelligence. I wrote creative realism genres (e.g. a parable, an origin story) and research essays, complementing them often with my garden photos. Liturgical Advent reflections about spiritual realities and gifts; New Year's resolutions, merging biblical wisdom and scientific evidence of the impact of faith on well-being; and a testimony on the everyday experience of God close out the roundup. Every weekly letter includes a Blessing and recently, I added Prayer. Mid-December I started to organize the Library of Grace. In 2024, I want to re-add the Garden of Grace section housing my popular Bible garden verses photo collection. The complete linked list is in Notes #3.
The Biblical Language of MLK, Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’
MLK, Jr’s I have a Dream speech is full of biblical language (Notes #4 links to full-text). It has inspired generations to stand up to injustice and have hope. I share just two.
Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 40.4
I have a dream that one day “every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” MLK, Jr.
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. Amos 5: 24
There are those who are asking the devotees of Civil Rights: “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For whites only.” No, no we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” MLK, Jr.
Gardens in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
World Peace Rose Garden, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, Atlanta.
This garden symbolizes the beautiful spirit of the nonviolent path taken by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This is the way of the truth, beauty, and universal love. Mrs. Coretta Scott King. 1992 World Peace Rose Garden Dedication
In 1992, the Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream" World Peace Rose Garden was planted at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta. It is “an artistic interpretation of Dr. King’s life and ideals of peace through nonviolence.” It uses a starburst design and 185 roses, the official flower of the USA in colors of pink, white, red, and more. The starburst represents the brilliance of MLK’s life and ideals, pink roses symbolize his oneness with his wife, Coretta, a band of white roses for the similarity of his peace movement with the nonviolence of Gandhi, red roses in honor of African Americans and their contributions, and multi-colored roses to represent the many countries of the world and the universal appeal of peace and non-violence.
Two other MLK, Jr. gardens, represent some very different developments in the history of American gardens (I will be writing more about this later). They include:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Gardens, Raleigh, NC. Established in 1975, this is the first public park solely devoted to Dr. King, Jr, and the Civil Rights Movement. It is 2.4 acres (about the area of a Manhattan city block). There is a 6ft 2in life-size sculpture of Dr. King, Jr., a water monument to honor other notable civil rights pioneers, picnic shelters, tables, and more.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Fitness Garden, Los Angeles, CA. In October 2011, the community celebrated the opening of a new Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Public Health, formerly South Health Center, with a garden. The fitness garden project has a walking path and par course fitness equipment and was one of the first projects completed as part of the new MLK, Jr. Wellness Community.