Two religious communities come together in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

BROCKTON, MASS – Messiah Baptist Church opened its doors to a different type of congregation on Sunday as two of Brockton’s religious communities came together to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The Messiah Baptist Church, which has long partnered with Temple Beth Emunah to put on the event, hosted this year’s luncheon and ceremony.

Invited speaker Irene Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the host of “All Revved Up” a weekly radio show on Boston Public Radio. She is described in O, the Oprah Magazine, as “a phenomenal woman who has succeeded against all odds.” Monroe is a public theologian who appears weekly on Boston Public Radio’s Monday feature “All Revved Up!” A frequent guest on New England Cable Network News, Monroe is also an opinion writer for the Boston Globe, a Huffington Post blogger and a syndicated religion columnist.

“Our job in keeping King’s dream alive is to be part of a participatory government that is working to dismantle the existing discriminatory laws that truncate full participation and the fight to advance democracy not for some people, but for all people.”

During her speech, the Rabbi Ilana Foss compared King, the leader of the civil rights movement, to the biblical figure Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt. Like Moses, Foss said that King was never able to reach the “promised land,” and it has fallen to us to continue his work.

“Our entire country must confront the reality that black and brown people are treated differently in our society,” Foss said. “Our American community will not reach the promised land until everyone is treated with fairness, dignity and respect.”

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