have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door, which leads to ultimate reality.”King was called an extremist, which he was not sure how to deal with at first. After careful consideration he believed that if he were to be called an extremist for love, it could only be taken as a compliment. He believed that the world was in dire need for more extremists like him. King did not want to be remembered after his death by the Nobel Peace Prize or his many other awards. He wanted people to say “...that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. …And I want you to say that I tried to love and save humanity”. Even when his own life and the life of his family were threatened, King did not react with hatred or violence, he found more strength and courage. He told his fellow men, “I want you to love your enemies. Be good to them. Love them and let them know you love them.” Therefore, King’s love for the human race led him to focus his ministry and speeches in obedience to Jesus Christ, who loved his enemies so fully that he died for them. King’s ability to speak the truth is another value that made him such an influential leader. This ability is one reason why King was asked to be the leader of so many important protest marches and sit-ins. His mother was aware of King’s ability to speak the truth very early in his life. King’s followers believed that he would speak nothing but the truth. But, in King’s famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, he could only hope that what he had written will be seen as the truth:“If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates me having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to ...
