With all due respect to his “I Have a Dream” speech,” I think the best example of Martin Luther King, Jr‘s  extended thinking is provided in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to religious leaders who opposed or questioned his commitment to non-violent support of human rights.

These are among his most memorable observations, made on various occasions.

o “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

o “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

o “Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.”

o “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

o “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

o “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

o “Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.”

o “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

o “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

o “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

o “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”

o “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”

o “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”

o “Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.”

o “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

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Martin Luther King Jr was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.To learn more about his life and work, please click here.