Among the numerous contributions that the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) has given to our nation and world is the simple yet profound message that we, by our mere existence, have an obligation—and simultaneous privilege—to make our community a better place to live, learn, work, and worship.  As children of the earth and children of God, it is part of our created nature.

Our Judeo-Christian story of salvation history reveals that we were formed from the earth and fashioned by God.  The first human was named Adam, a reference to earthen substance.  Taken from the soil, of which we are bodily and religiously united, we are commissioned to revere the source of our physical being (or at least acknowledge the fontal connection).  Shaped by the hand of God, we are similarly inseparable from the One who created us in His image.

If we can exist in that place where faith and logic co-exist, we can begin to comprehend our obligation to creation and our privilege to contribute to its betterment.  The family of MLK has urged Americans for half a century, therefore, to not treat the national holiday that honors him each January as a “day off” but rather as a “day on,” a day of contribution to improve our own community and, subsequently, communities from coast to coast and beyond.  We can do that through acts that help the poor, the suffering, and those less fortunate than us.

Here are some local offerings that you might consider.  Attend the annual Dr. Martin Luther King prayer service at Saint Therese Little Flower Church (STLF), 58^th and Euclid, on Monday, January 20, at 10:00…and/or participate in the assembling of care packages in their church hall at 10:30…and/or join in the distribution of those care bags to various spots in our city.  You could, instead or in addition, provide items for the care bags to STLF this weekend—the desired items are listed on the STLF parish bulletin and website.  Another option is to give blood at Saint Elizabeth Church (75^th and Main) that afternoon, 2-6:00, at Seton Hall in the church basement.  Donating blood is such a basic and crucial way to give hope and save a life.  That evening, Visitation Parish (51^st and Main) is hosting a prayer service reflecting on excerpts from Dr. King’s writings and speeches; the gathering will be at 6:30 in the church.

These events on Monday might inspire you to get involved in year-round programs that address social, racial, economic, spiritual, and urban issues in Kansas City.  These programs are too numerous to list but if you meet with me or a staff member of these parishes or others in the area, we can help you find the intersection point of your greatest interests and our community’s greatest needs.  Your contribution could be as basic and timely as joining the annual January Superbowl soup collection.  All that’s required is that, during this Super Bowl playoff season, you bring cans of soup to your parish, or a food pantry, or my garage, so that they can be distributed in the months ahead to hungry children and their families.

I think that King’s descendants are correct to challenge our mindset from a day of relaxation to a day of making a difference.  This shift can inspire positive works in your community that link with other communities to make a better city, nation, and world.  As Albert Schweitzer once said, “Remember that you don’t live in a world all your own; your brothers and sisters are here, too.”  It all goes back to, and reflects well upon, the very purpose and nature of our creation.