40 years

I had the great fortune of being in Atlanta this week and spent an afternoon at the Martin Luther King, Jr. historic site. It was strange to be there; today marks the 40th anniversary of his assassination by James Earl Ray and I expected more activity, more buzz at the memorial site. I cannot help but wonder what Dr. King would think of our nation today. Would he be proud that Barack Obama is gunning for the Democratic nomination? Or would he be disappointed that it has taken 40 years since a nation was robbed of a great civil rights leader? I don't know the answer to these questions, just as though I have no idea what the state of the nation would be had he survived that evening in Tennessee. I hope those of us who find inspiration in his leadership, speeches, writings, and yes, even his faith, have done him proud, but I worry about the pace of our progress.