Looking for hope
Jun 10, 2020 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
Photo by Jessie Eastland
Last year I wrote a motto for my household. I wanted to capture all the ideas that speak to my soul, fuel me, and bring joy. Curiosity is high on that list. It’s the reason I write. It explains my love of vintage. It’s why I look forward to reading a new book. My personal library, with its collection of tall & short, serious & funny tomes, is like a symphony of perspectives.
In my view, learning about the past is vital to cultivating a brighter future. There is power in connecting – not just with history, but with our neighbors. There is power in sharing, in speaking our truth and in providing our testimony. There is power in listening to each other. Two years ago I wrote this article about Dr. King. I invite you, dear reader, to let Dr. King’s words wash over you this week.
“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of nuclear annihilation. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant. I believe that even amid today’s mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow.” – Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance, 1964