#247: MLK National Day of Service

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Although it feels so nice to laze around on a day off, consider the reason why you have the day off.  I encourage you to participate, in whatever you can, in a national act of giving -- you will feel great.  Tomorrow is the only federal holiday designated as  a day of service, a fitting tribute to our nation's great civil rights activist.

Although mlkday.gov lists only one serve event for the South Bend area, there are multiple MLK-related activities around town -- South Bend Tribune has compiled a thorough list, and we highlighted the annual concert for Post #107 -- but any act of kindness honors his legacy of non-violent activism.  "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," Dr. King wrote in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail."  Even if you donate some canned food (Ivy Tech is holding a drive) or that extra pair of gloves you have, you will be doing something for justice.

If you have to work tomorrow,  you could take a lunch break for a long-standing South Bend tradition: the annual MLK march.  Join city leaders in government and in religious groups at 12 Noon for a non-denominational prayer service outside the County-City Building, the seat of the government for South Bend and St. Joseph County.  Afterward, march with great fanfare to the Century Center, where various events are happening all day long. 

For those who work at Notre Dame, there is another non-denominational prayer service happening right on campus.  University president Fr. John Jenkins will lead the service, which starts at 11:30 AM in the Main Building.

"More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will," Dr. King also wrote in his famous letter.  If we were lucky enough to have him still with us today, let us hope that he would think differently.