Four Acres and no Mule; Mlk Memorial Dedication

We are here today to dedicate four acres and no mule to the memory, message, and mission of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Four acres doesn't seem like enough.  Four acres doesn't equal the impact this man had. Seems like he deserves more real estate.
    And I said "No Mule".  The freed slaves were promised a mule once they got their freedom.  That promise was broken too.  But Dr. King got his mule or to be more precise two mules.  The mules that pulled the wagon that bore his coffin during the funeral procession.  I was thinking why two?  Why not one or four?  Then I remembered two is the most common configuration for plowing or pulling a wagon.  It is also the most common configuration for training mules.  A young mule is paired with an old mule.  The young mule gets wisdom and calmness from the old mule.  The old mule gets enthusiasm and energy from the young mule.
    Now, looking around here I see alot of old people.  None I would call mules.  Well, except for one.  I will call Andrew Young an old mule.  You see he was hit in the head and he got back up and kept going.  Just like an old mule.  Is that not stubborn?  Is that not tenacious?  Is that not determined?  Yes, some have gotten hit in the head and gotten knocked down.  But they got back up and they kept going.  They did what we have to do.  We have to turn our tears into tenacity.  We have to turn our disappointments into determination.  We have to turn our heartache into hardwork.   Sometimes we have to harness ourselves, just like a working mule. 
     And we have to mentor the young people, just like a training team of mules.  I'm afraid that the young people are not appreciating the commitment and sacrifices made during the civil rights movement.  Which is ongoing, by the way.  There is so much left to do.  So much Dr. King would be doing if he were here. 
      I said four acres is not enough.  It is not enough that streets, and parks, and buildings are are named for Dr. King.  NO SIR.  I say it is not enough.  There is more real esate I want dedicated to Dr. King. I want the real estate between our ears and between our shoulder blades dedicated to Dr. King.  I want our hands dedicated to Dr. King.  For there is much left to do.
      Dr. King ministered in two churches.  Dexter Street Baptist  Church in Montgomery  and Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Dexter means "right"and Ebenezer means "stone of help".  We have before us a stone of hope hewn from a mountain of despair.  And I say it is not enough.  The "right" thing to do is to turn that stone of hope into a stone of help.  It can't be done for us here.  We have to do it out there.  In the streets and fields and buildings all across our land. And all around the world.
     Let me conclude. We need to form a mule train.  For we have work to do.  Just like the Poor People's Campaign.  We need to become Drum Majors for peace, justice, and righteousness.  We need to become ministers of hope and help.  What would Dr. King expect?  He would want us to move.  For his sake and memory, let us build that world that he could only dream about. Let's do it now. Thankyou.