About 40 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was sending shockwaves through the world as he led his march on Washington, D.C. and gave the famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

The 1963 non-violent action resulted in passage of the Civil Rights Act the next year. In 1964, at the age of 35, Dr. King became the youngest person to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Four years later, after a life of non-violence, he was assassinated.

Did the dream die with him?

It’s really hard to say.

Progress has been made, steps have been taken but the dream of equality still truly eludes our society as a whole. The struggle for a collective vision of hope and prosperity is still out of our grasp.

Peace may never become a reality.

It wasn’t at hand during the life of Dr. King and — as we look east toward Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea — it sure doesn’t seem to be any closer.

Did anyone really listen to Dr. King? Did he live and die in vain?

We hope not.

While changes have been made for the better in the past 40 years, racism, hatred and war still stagnate the progress of this nation. Still stagnate the hearts of its people.

As we look forward to Martin Luther King Jr. Day this Monday, Jan. 20, we hope everyone will do a little soul searching and ask themselves what they really stand for in the world.

Are we satisfied with the status quo, or do we thirst for something greater — the justice that we may never attain but should always strive to achieve.

Dr. King stood for all the good things in life.

Love was a paramount message of his but it is a message that has been ignored by and large by our society and countries around the world.

Hate. Criticism. Derision.

These are easy things to do.

It’s easier to find faults in others, whether it be a person or a country. But in doing so, we often miss the faults within ourselves.

Before we can make changes around us, we must first improve within. If there isn’t love in our hearts, we can’t expect others to love us in return.

While a portion of Dr. King’s dream has been realized, as a society and individuals we have a ways to go before it becomes a reality in its entirety.

As we look to a new year it is important to note that Martin Luther King Jr. was right about one prediction: 1963 wasn’t the end, it was the beginning.