I HAVE A DREAM

This month the United States will commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The stirring speech he gave in Washington D.C. is one of the most memorable of modern history. In it he declared his dream or vision of equality and peace that was a catalyst of change in civil rights, not just of black Americans, but for all Americans.

When he spoke of a dream, he was not speaking of flights of fancy that entered his mind when he slept. He was speaking of a waking vision, an inward knowing, that was given to him of how society should be. He was declaring what he had been shown in his spirit as to what should, and ultimately would, be. It was a declaring of his spiritual epiphany regarding society.

“Epiphany” is another important word for us at this time. On January 6, we will celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ and enter the season of Epiphany. That word means “showing forth” and on that feast date we remember the showing forth of the presence of God made man in Jesus to the world through the Magi who came to see Him. We also remember the revelation of Jesus Christ to John the Baptist, the disciples and to all Christians. We remember Jesus’ baptism, and our own, together with the ways in which He was revealed to humankind, especially in His miracles. Finally, we ponder the ways in which we are to “show forth” our Lord to the world in which we live.

All of these are very important, but our “showing forth” our Lord seems of great importance to me. And, it seems to me, for us to be effective in this, two things must happen. There must be a personal epiphany of Jesus that we experience. We must see and accept Him as Lord and Savior for ourselves before anything of Him can be revealed through us that will be helpful to others. Secondly, we must have an epiphany of HOW we personally are to live out our faith and witness. We must “have a dream”.

What is it that God wants you to do? How are you to live? Not everyone is to be a priest. Everyone is not to enter religious life as their full time vocation. Some must be in politics, in government or in business. Some must be raising and teaching the next generation. But no matter what it is we do, in order to be happy, fulfilled and effective we must be doing the “one thing” we are called to do in order to “show forth” Christ in our world.

Are you doing that “thing”? Do you have a dream? Have you had your Epiphany of Jesus and of how you are to live? You can! Such a revelation is not reserved for mystics and clerics. It is for anyone, and everyone, who will be wise enough to seek Him. What do you need to do?

1)    See Jesus as the Savior and trust Him alone for your eternal salvation. His life, death and resurrection are the atonement (at-one-ment) needed to bring us into right relationship with God.

2)    Ask Him what you are to do. Seek His Kingdom will above all things. Knock at the door of His revelation. You will receive. You will find. The door will open. That is His promise. He wants you to know Him and He wants you to be an instrument of revelation to others. He has already uniquely equipped and gifted you to do that in a way that only you can!

3)    Be who He has created you to be! Simply be an instrument in His hand and He will use you.

I have a dream. It is a dream for both you and me. The dream is that we will be all we are to be for Him and that others will know Him because we have touched them in His name. I have been to the mountain. I have had my Epiphany. I declare, in His name, that “it is” and it will manifest! And, that another reason …

“I stand by the door.”