I Have a Dream ...

Ray of Hope - Cambodia, a photo by Maciej Dakowicz on Flickr.

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.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this "MLK Day of Service", I ventured out onto the streets of my neighborhood, answering the call from an email to do "community clean-up". This is not new to me, as I spent many summer mornings doing this very task.

What felt new to me today was my reaction to the repulsive sights and the association to the person whose legacy was most definitely NOT this.

My stomach turned knots and angry, judgmental tears got stuck in my windpipe with each disgusting piece of filth I picked up -- evidence of the disregard and disrespect for the earth that is not ours but was freely given to us by a loving God who absolutely worked through Martin Luther King. Yes, I am engaging in self-righteous anger and I will need to make amends and put myself in-check later !

After being in the midst of the ick of the world today, I too have a dream:

That no one is exposed to the kinds of things that should go unseen --
empty 40's of stale beer
cigarette butts that decorate the sidewalk like confetti
used condoms still oozing with their contents
empty crack baggies in every color of the rainbow
the refuse of an entire meal from Chick-Fil-A, complete with straws, napkins, empty soda cups and chicken carcasses
gum and candy wrappers of every kind

I have a dream of seeing beauty in the world; at least for one portion of today, there are a few streets that have a little more shimmer to them.