CELEBRATING A MAN OF PEACE: MLK TRIBUTE IN NORTH CAROLINA
Each year, the MLK, Jr. Task Force of Cary celebrates the life, work, and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and in 2019, it is as important as ever to keep the dream alive. King’s vision of a future where no one is judged by the color of their skin is still not a universal reality.
United by their hope for this dream, members of different denominations came together for an “Ecumenical Gathering Remembering Martin” on Sunday, January 20 at the Triangle Family Church in Durham, North Carolina. It was a free event open to the public, and more than 60 people gathered for this special commemoration.
The Triangle Family Church has traditionally shared its worship hour on the Sunday during the Annual MLK, Jr. Task Force of Cary's Triangle Area Celebration weekend and this year Pastor Joshua Angelucci guided the ecumenical observance with the support of worship leader Benjy Uyama.
Cindy Edwards and Carolyn Sampson, both members of The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, were the main guest speakers. Cindy began her talk with a humble and moving message: "I do not come before you as a professional lecturer or with years of research and published articles. I am simply a follower of Jesus Christ and one who has experienced moments of a gift He left for all of us - a gift recorded in the Bible: "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27)."
Sharing her thoughts on peace, Cindy proclaimed that ultimately all people in the world want peace. Drawing on the words of Thomas Monson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, she added that peace would mean “no hunger in Africa; no hate in the Middle East; no ethnic struggles across the globe; everyone would be safe from physical harm and emotional harm. The ills of the world's societies, tears of sorrow, pains of conflict, and the shattered hopes of what could have been that are left in the destructive wake of anger, hatred and contention would cease to exist.”
Cindy then related world peace to the personal peace we each want and seek to attain. As God's sons and daughters, we need to first find peace in our own hearts, in our own home, and in our own lives before we can be an influence for peace in our worship centers, neighborhoods, towns and cities and eventually the world.
WFWP North Carolina Chairwoman Carolyn Sampson reminded all attending to "keep the dream alive. From Montgomery to Memphis, King left a new South behind him and rarely has one individual served as the catalyst for so many significant and permanent social changes.”
Carolyn then shared a critical message for churches from Dr. King's "The Trumpet of Conscience": “The church must be reminded that it is not the master nor the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority."
This was followed by some wise words from Benjy Uyama concerning church relevance and radical change - what we can do to make our community more relevant and important to all people. Benjy explained that Triangle Family Church is in the process of executing a plan to engage its members and others in the community. It promises to be innovative and exciting!
After these encouraging words, the Triangle Family Church worship team used the power of music to inspire and uplift the audience with songs emphasizing love and peace.
High praise for the Ecumenical Gathering was expressed by attending members and visitors. As we gave thanks for the life and ministry of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the warmth of God's love was all around and in each of us and we declared "Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me."
