Doctor Martin Luther King tells us, "The arc of the moral compass is long, but it bends toward justice."
What does this mean? If we look at the history of the world, there has been a great deal of injustice. Doctor King himself was assassinated because he spoke out openly and strongly in advancement of human rights for African Americans. All that we need to do is to look at the daily news to see that evil is alive and well in our world.
I believe that King is telling us to look further, for "the moral compass is long." If examine the history of humanity, perhaps we can see a trend toward justice. We once had a world that condoned slavery; though slavery in the world still exists, the majority of us now see it as an abomination. We once lived in a world that condoned racism; while racism does still exist, a great part of the world today finds it unacceptable. We can find innumerable examples of injustices in the world which are no longer tolerated. We do indeed seem to be "bending toward justice."
Have these changes come about automatically? Not at all. Great men and women have struggled through the ages to bring them about. Over time, more and more people joined their efforts until the barriers to justice crumbled. There is something innate in us as humans that calls us to do the right thing. Yes, we can ignore it, we can choose to do the wrong thing, but that always leads to our destruction. I lived under two of the most notorious dictators of the 20th century, Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines and Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire. Both men held on to the power of their unjust regimes, yet both lived lives of torment, constantly fearing the loss of their regimes, fears that were eventually realized. Both left behind a legacy of mismanagement and corruption that their countries continue to struggle with. Due to the presence of the moral compass, however, positive change in the Philippines and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) is inevitable. It simply takes time and effort.
This week Christians around the world celebrate Easter. Is this not the same message? Jesus Christ, the embodiment of good, is put to death by the forces of fear in the world and in our hearts. In this case, the moral compass not only bent toward justice, it took a huge leap. Jesus rose from the dead and continued to spread his message of love and hope to the world. Regardless of one's view on Christianity, it can be argued that Jesus had more influence on the history of the world than any other person before or since his lifetime.
When we embrace the vision of love and justice for our world and embark on their fulfillment, it is as if we have springs beneath our feet. We become part of a universal movement toward what is right and natural. We really do live in wonderful and exciting times in a wonderful and exciting world.
