SLCC MLK 2023

The Beloved Community

For Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The Beloved Community” was not a lofty utopian goal to be confused with the rapturous image of The Peaceable Kingdom. . . Rather, the Beloved Community was for him a realistic achievable goal, that could be attained by a critical mass of people committed to and trained in the philosophy and methods of non-violence.

The core value of the quest for Dr. King’s Beloved Community was agape love. Dr. King distinguished between three kinds of love:

Eros: Romantic Love

Philia: Affection between friends and…

Agape: Understanding, redeeming, goodwill for all! Agape love does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people….It begins by loving others for their sakes and makes no distinction between a friend or an enemy; it is directed towards both. Agape love is seeking to preserve and create community.

Dr. King’s Beloved Community is a global vision, in which all people can share in the wealth of the Earth. In The Beloved Community, poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood.

Visit The King Center for more information.