I Have a Dream

by Robert Ricciardelli

The last few days I have been waking up thinking about Martin Luther King Jr. I kept hearing his “I Have a Dream” speech as I awoke each of the last few mornings. He is one of my heroes of the faith; a difference-maker, and a catalyst for good and for the generations. I asked the Lord if there was some further meaning to my thoughts about him. He said, “I gave him a dream, and I have given you a dream.”

I decided to write out my dream in honor of one of my hero’s dreams. Thank you, Lord, for Dr. King, who stood for You, stood for freedom and gave his life for the cause of that freedom. I write this in honor of him and the legacy he left for us all:

“I have a dream that one day the kingdom nation of God will rise up and live out the true meaning of Christ’s all-consuming creed that fulfills all laws and prophecies with these words: ‘The Lord our God is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength, and also love your neighbor as yourself.

“I have a dream that one day the children of God will truly answer the Lord’s prayer in becoming one as He and the Father are one; that they would move as one ‘body of Christ’ through the power of the love of God within them.

“I have a dream that one day the walls of culture and preference that have divided our communities will come crashing down so we may truly love and honor each other’s uniqueness and our strength in diversity.

“I have a dream for freedom from the grip of false religion and anything that gets in the way of the agape love of God and His perfect will for humanity.

“I have a dream that our children will see an example of life that is not based on what one may have on the outside, including race or financial status, but on what matters most—the integrity and character of what is on the inside of a person.

“I have a dream today.

“I have a dream that one day the hierarchical deception and distortion of community through the systems of man will give way to authentic relationships and communities that are not based on performance or hidden agendas.

“I have a dream today.

“I have a dream that the systems of man that have controlled and manipulated the people of God will give way to the freedom and power of the kingdom of God. I have a dream that there is neither male nor female, Greek nor Jew, or any other caste system getting in the way of the freedom that can only be realized through Christ Jesus our Lord.

“I have a dream today.

“I have a dream of revolutionary authentic servant leaders all over the world who do not usurp their authority and mandates but lead through humility while coaching and assisting others toward the way, the truth and the life.

“I have a dream today.

“I have a dream that one day the last shall be first and the first shall be last, and for the day when the highest esteem is reserved for those who are humble, for those who are motivated by love and for those who desire to serve others in their journey.

“I have a dream today.

“I have a dream that the manifest sons and daughters of the living God will be realized on the earth, supernaturally presenting Christ as the only answer to the groaning within all of creation.”

I can see it now, the glory of the Lord filling the earth like the waters cover the sea; all people united as one, every knee bowing and every tongue confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. This will be the day that both the mystery and the majesty of the Most High God is fully known throughout the universe with the whole world singing, “For the kingdom, the power and the glory are Yours now and forever.”