Today is the day we celebrate Martin Luther King Day. Many people celebrate in great numbers and that is a very good thing. We should all take the time to honor this man and his courage today. But, I wonder, how many actually know the reason why this day is so important in our history? Here’s the reason.

In 1956, in Montgomery, Alabama, a young, unknown Baptist preacher came home to find a large crowd gathered in front of his house that had just been bombed. He ran inside to see if his wife and daughter had survived. When he found they were unharmed, he comforted them before going outside to face a large, angry crowd.

They had gathered with chains and weapons to retaliate against the white community for such a despicable deed. He told them there would be no retaliation saying, “Jesus tells us to love our enemies, to forgive those who persecute us. Now go home.” Thus began the legacy of an amazing man with a unique spirit, Martin Luther King, Jr.

What King did on that occasion isn’t natural–it’s supernatural. The ability to forgive our enemies who have wronged us is often beyond our natural ability, but it is the Spirit of Christ. It is true Christianity. It is a power available to us all. It can and will change the world.