My Brother's Keeper

What responsibility do we bear toward future generations? What are we actually doing to ensure their freedom, dignity, and prosperity? Too often, we avoid this question. We lack the collective will, the mental resolve, and the moral courage to confront the structures of oppression that still loom over us.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once declared,

“If a man has not found something he is willing to die for, he is not fit to live.”

Yet many today shy away from such conviction. We protect our comforts, shield our families, and indulge in the personal joys of a good career or a stable home. These blessings are not wrong, but they are not enough. We must ask: What are we passing down? What legacy are we leaving? If not for the courage of those who came before... the Thurgood Marshall's, the Malcolm X's, the Harriett Tubman's, the MLK's, and millions more... where would we be now? Their sacrifices shaped the path we walk today. Without them, the rights we often take for granted would not exist.

And yet, in many ways, we have betrayed that legacy. We speak of freedom, but we rarely act to preserve it. We celebrate our ancestors, but we neglect their example. The courage they demonstrated is not merely a historical artifact... it is a living expectation. To ignore it is not just a failure; it is a dishonor.

There is also a deeper reality we must come to terms with... the nature of our existence itself. Every one of us will meet the end of our physical life. But we are more than flesh. We are spiritual beings undergoing a human experience, and that recognition changes everything. When we internalize this truth, we realize that this world... imperfect and temporary... is not our origin, nor is it our ultimate destination. The source we come from transcends language and comprehension.

So yes, we are here to live, to love, and to experience joy where we can. But that joy must be balanced with empathy, with awareness, and with a sense of duty. It is easy to forget, amid birthdays and vacations, that many around us still suffer. That while we gather at barbecues, others cry out unheard. Our joy should never be blind. True growth means asking: Have I learned the meaning of unconditional love? Do I truly live as my brother’s keeper?