An MLK remembrance: seeing the staircase

(By Vicki Swyers)
"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We saw the whole staircase - and painted it - at Dunbar Elementary near our church, in honor of the birthday of Dr. King. About 10 from Third joined at least 100 volunteers at the school as part of the United Way's "Live the Dream - Live United" day of service on Monday.

Volunteers painted hallways, too, and the office, cafeteria, bathrooms and more. People from all walks of life - pupils at Dunbar, college students, young adults, active and retired teachers - picked up rollers and brushes and literally transformed the school with a fresh coat of bright yellow paint.

While there, I believe we acted as the "beloved community" envisioned by Dr. King: A completely integrated society, a community of love and justice wherein brotherhood would be an actuality in all of social life. In his mind, such a community would be the ideal corporate expression of the Christian faith.

I painted alongside and talked with students whose parents immigrated from India about the challenges of honoring their family culture while navigating a new one. Our group from Third included four students from China who are studying at St. Louis University and embracing a life of service while in the United States. Other volunteers included Americorp staffers, high school students from service organizations, student groups from nearby universities, and two ladies in their 70s and 80s - all giving life to the dream of Dr. King.

Faith does call us to take a step, even when we don't see the whole staircase. Sometimes, though, God shows us the staircase, and we need to pick up the paintbrush.