By Leslie N. Dees
The Star-Herald
KOSCIUSKO —
“I usually speak from my heart but today I present you this speech,” Kingdom Life Church founder and pastor, the Rev. Antonio Patterson, said in his opening remarks at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Birthday Celebration Monday held at the Kosciusko Junior High School Auditorium.
Patterson, who is also an educator, titled his speech – Dream again.
He said the legacy of King was as a husband, father, leader, organizer and social activist.
“He was a component of education and a prolific theologian,” Patterson said. “He was a champion of the cause of civil rights and social justice.”
“We celebrate the historic struggles and victories that have afforded us all the opportunities to live together in a community as brothers and sisters,” Patterson said. “We celebrate the legacy of a man that dedicated his life to progress for all people, communities, nations and the world.
Patterson assured the crowd that King would be proud of the progress that has been made since the 1960s.
“As a nation, we have made great strides to heal the wounds of the past. We live in a time where people have decided that it is much easier to love than to hate,” Patterson said.
However, there is work to be done, Patterson said.
“You and I must continue to work together for greater levels of progress and change” Patterson said. “Let us not assume that progress and change are synonymous nor that they are mutually exclusive.”
He explained that changes doesn’t always equal progress.
When progress is achieved, things move forward but change can be both positive and negative.
“Those that accept change can make great strides,” he said. “Those who can’t will suffer bitter losses.”
Changes in technology have made us learn the same material but in different ways, he explained.
Encyclopedias have been replaced by Google and atlases by GPS systems, Patterson said.
We are in a digital age where conversations are now had by text messages, he said.
“Dr. King could not imagine all the things that exist today,” Patterson said. “Yet he spoke very powerful words that still permeate the reality of our times,” Patterson said.
He quoted King – “Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
“Even, if we were brutally honest, there are still changes that need to be made,” Patterson said.
He said that King was able to affect changes in law and polices but to some extent he was not able to change the perceptions and misconceptions “deeply rooted in the hearts of men.’
“It is my believe that only God can change a man’s heart,” Patterson said.
Perception, he said, can be more powerful than reality.
Dr. King’s work was not just about equality but about dignity, Patterson said.
“It was about revealing false information,” he added.
Patterson said he is grateful to live in a society where he can love all his brothers and sisters without the fear of condemnation.
“I have great disdain for those that squander the opportunity and freedom that was won by blood, sweat and tears of others,” he said.
He listed things that he had a problem with including: people who think the world owes them something, parents who do not know where their children are, able-bodied and sound-mind people who think it is the government’s responsibility to provide food, shelter and clothing, and parents that blame teachers for their child’s failing grades when they do not make them study and do homework.
“I have a problem with people that tell me to go back to Africa,” he said. “I haven’t been there. And, I have a problem with Ebonics,” Patterson said. “Most of all I have a problem with people who refuse to let go of the past so that we can enjoy a more peaceful and prosperous future”
Patterson said he doesn’t want people to forget the past because there are valuable lessons to be learned.
“We can not live in the past,” he said. “We must move forward for righteousness sake.”
As many problems as Patterson says he has, he said he is not bitter but driven to action.
