The spirit of Lincoln still lives; that spirit born of the teachings of the Nazarene, who promised mercy to the merciful, who lifted the lowly, strengthened the weak, ate with publicans, and made the captives free. In the light of this divine example, the doctrines of demagogues shiver in their chaff.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the enduring influence of Lincoln's compassionate spirit, rooted in the teachings of Jesus, in contrast to the empty rhetoric of demagogues.
Martin Luther King, Jr. reflects on the lasting legacy of Abraham Lincoln, suggesting that Lincoln's guiding principles of mercy and compassion, derived from the teachings of Jesus, are far more powerful and significant than the shallow doctrines propagated by demagogues. This quote highlights the importance of genuine kindness and moral leadership over empty political rhetoric, advocating for a society that embraces these values.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of compassion in leadership.
This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love.
Music is the best consolation for a despaired man
We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.
We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
Israel... is one of the great outpost of democracy in the world
One of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the Great Society... shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam.
One can't fight with oneself, for this battle has only one loser.
Fear always springs from ignorance.
I was poor white trash, no glitter, no glamour, but I'm not ashamed of anything.
The main thing, of course, always, is the fact that there is only one of you in the world, just one, and if that is not fulfilled then something has been lost. Ambition is not enough; necessity is everything.
If you have a problem and you can't find a solution, you meet again tomorrow and you keep talking until you find a solution. You can disagree with behavior or a particular position, but you do not resort to calling an opponent worthless.
For what it’s worth: trust your feelings. I can’t promise that you’ll never get hurt again, but I can promise you the risk is worth it.
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