Over 40 years ago, this nation was a place often engaged in a very selective reading of the Constitution and because of that, our nation was deep in the middle of racial injustice.

However, in 1963, a visionary movement headed equally by a visionary orator to change the way we looked at our world.

His name was Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Aug. 28, 1963, he addressed hundreds of thousands of his fellow Americans from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with a speech that most everyone agrees now is one of the great masterpieces of 20th-century American rhetoric.

As most ministers are apt to do, King departed from his prepared text, and let the world know that to first want something to happen, you have to dream it. His words spread from those marble steps, across the reflecting pool and then through television and radio; it moved across the country and finally landed in the hearts of ordinary citizens.

So what does it mean to us today?

While we rush to celebrate the holiday granted to us, we often forget the moral imperative that we must change.

Over 40 years ago, King delivered his famous speech and today, there are many still struggling to fulfill the promise of that summer day.

Today,

we have many more races than just black and white in our country and there are many other groups who feel they too are oppressed.

Let everyone take comfort in the words of Dr. King

from that summer day when the road to reconciliation and peace for our country were perfectly articulated.

It is a great comfort to know that what was once only a man's dream is now the the greatest hope of every man, woman and child.

On Monday, Jan. 17, we join the nation in celebrating the birthday of this honorable man.