On Martin Luther King Day

January 16, 1994
Location Unspecified

Yesterday was the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Tomorrow will be observed as Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, remembering the great contributions he made, not only for achievements in the civil rights struggle, but also for his unqualified commitment to peace and non-violence. Our assigned theme today is “Universalism”, but it is not inconsistent to especially honor MLK because there is a connection.

In his belief in peace and non-violence, MLK often attributed much to the influence of Mohandas Gandhi. Gandhi said that his philosophy of peace and non-violence was strongly influenced by Leo Tolstoy and Adin Ballou.

Adin Ballou was not only a pacifist and also the founder of the Hopedale community, but a Universalist minister who served Universalist churches in New York and Massachusetts. He also wrote the words for the hymn with which we will close our service today.

There is another connection. Among the 31 men and 30 women who signed the Charter of Compact of the 1st organized Universalist Church (pict.) was Gloster Dalton, a Black man. When he died and his funeral was held in the church, the minister, Thomas Jones (who succeeded John Murray) officiated and entered this in the church records, “April 11, 1813, Gloster Dalton, an African. In this country from a youth, Supposed to be 90 years old. Gloster Dalton was an honest, industrious man. He had been infirm about two or three years ... belonged to the Independent Christian Society for many years. He was a native of Africa and brought away as a slave (so-called). For there are no slaves! All men are born free. T. Jones”

In tribute and memory of MLK and a reminder from our Universalist roots that tasks are not completed until all persons are free, let us sing 149, sometimes known as the Negro National Anthem.