Could We Rise to Be the Martin Luther Kings of the 21st Century?

Martin Luther King shaped his life, activism and ministry around the principles of nonviolent protest. He was influenced in forming those convictions by the writings of people like Ghandhi and Tolstoy.

All three men lived through periods of upheaval, turmoil and change. They explored the writings of those who went before them.

When you try to follow the thread of history, of what was happening when these historical figures set down their philosophies, we soon learn as much as things change, people remain the same.

The world has been going through almost constant change. Looking back to the late 1800s onward, the rate of change has accelerated and continues to accelerated. During slower rates of change, it could be two or more generations before change was truly felt.

These days, it’s barely a decade. As science and technology advances we’re all seeing changes at a breakneck pace. Some of that change has been accelerated by the pandemic.

Change can be beneficial. It can open doors to new ways of doing things. It can make life easier for some. For others, it means lost jobs, lost way of life and more hardship. Less hope.

I wonder how Martin Luther King, Ghandhi and Tolstoy would have responded to what we see happening in the world today?

The ability to spread misinformation and disinformation has always been around. Be it word of mouth before the printing press or printed word after. As long as people can form ideas and draw their own conclusions, right or wrong, information can be spread around.

In the digital age, the spread is such a rapid pace, it’s around the world before someone can say, “that’s bullshit”. Add the age old craft of grifting and manipulating, we have vulnerable populations whipped up and exploited.

In a world where people react with anger and hatred when they disagree with others, taking the path of nonviolence is not easily achieved.

Fear drives violence and hatred.

Fear causes fear in those targeted by violence and hate.

Fear causes violence and hate in return.

An endless cycle pursues.

Fear and hatred are primitive survival instincts within us. It comes too quickly to the surface. In primitive times, we needed the adrenaline generated by fear to help us defend ourselves. To survive enemies and other dangers.

How many times have you seen or heard stories of generational feuds going on between families, communities, countries or even religious orders?

More so in the last two years than in most of my living memory, we’re seeing fued like anger playing out between family members, neighbours and beyond, across multiple countries for multiple reasons.

I sometimes venture into the spaces where the angry and aggrieved seem to congregate. I see and hear the level of vitriol and rage coming from them toward fellow humans. I wonder where it will end.

I wonder if some, like Martin Luther King or Ghandhi, were to emerge could they even be heard or noticed over the voices whipping up the rage coming from so many soapboxes?

At some point, someone needs to step up and remind us we can agree to disagree and still love our neighbour. A voice or voices heard and listened to.

We can debate and argue. Debate and argument has an important part in society when it comes with the basic understanding our opponents are otherwise good people. That’s an understanding in rather short supply. Along with well reasoned, informed debate.

Understanding at that level seems to be harder than ever to come to lately. Without someone with the courage to try, we’ll never know if it can happen.

The will to love has to start some where. There needs to be a will to end hatred. A will that becomes infectious.

I’ve been guilty of my hurt and anger becoming hate. That doesn’t mean I can’t strive to at least find a space of respect for my enemy as a person. A willingness to agree to disagree.

At times I wonder if we’re not going to end up living out the plot of “Don’t Look Up”, fighting, scrapping, hating, self-serving behaviour playing out as the end of the world hurtles toward us.

I’d like to think, even hope, better natures will manage to rise.

If only it could start with me… care to join in?

Shadowspub is a writer from Ontario, Canada. She writes on a variety of subjects as she pursues her passion for learning. She also writes on other platforms and enjoys creating books you use like journals, notebooks, coloring books etc.

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