Monday we will honor an iconic figure in our nation’s history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  A great preacher, orator and inspiration to people of all walks of life, his words and teachings continue to inspire us today.  One of my personal favorite teachings of Dr. King is:

“All I’m saying is simply this, that all life is interrelated, that somehow we’re caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.
– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Warren, Mervyn A.; Taylor, Gardner C. (2008). King Came Preaching: The Pulpit Power of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. InterVarsity Press. p. 174.
We are a part of the whole and the power to create change begins with each one of us. One of us at a time, until we become what we “ought to be.”
If you would like to become active in making a change you may want to consider the Thermal Belt Friendship Council. The group’s purpose is to promote relationships and diversity among the peoples in Polk County North Carolina. If you would like to attend a meeting and see what it’s all about they meet the second Tuesday of every month at the Roseland Community Center in Tryon at 10 Peake St. at 7 p.m.
Lynnea Stadelmann, vice president of the council says “membership is free and open to all, there are no dues or fees and meetings are very informal.”
The Thermal Belt Friendship Council will present its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration on Saturday, Jan. 14 at the Tryon Fine Arts Center.