This week I'm reading a short excerpt from Dr Martin Luther King Jr's Letter from Birmingham Jail. Written on April 16th 1963 and addressed to 'My Dear Fellow Clergymen'.

I do get quite political in this episode, certainly less neutral than I generally aim to be on this podcast. I also talk about current situations in America and the UK that are gravely concerning. I hope you don't mind me taking the time to talk about this. I hope you share my perspective, but understand that the world is a complicated place and we can't all agree on everything.

I wanted to read this letter because it points out the problem when normal every day people don't want to deal with change. The acceptance of the status quo, even as it worsens life for everyday people, can be the most dangerous thing, for everyone. I think there's a lot we can learn from leaders like Dr King so it's always worth spending time with their words.

Note: I'm not suggesting this applies to any of you, especially since I know many of my listeners are living in countries like the UK and America. But I do think it's important to discuss and for all of us to consider what is important to us, and what are the values we most aspire to live, in these difficult times.

There was a lot of difficult vocabulary in this excerpt. I hope I managed to explain it enough so you could get the gist, but I've included the vocabulary below as well, I hope it helps.

Vocabulary

irony - something that seems deliberately opposite to what we expect, and as such can be found funny

status quo - the 'normal' situation

condescending - to look down on someone

polarized - to be at opposite extremes of an argument

aided - helped

suppressed - pushed down, avoided, prevented from being seen

advocate - support and encourage

gravely - seriously

'great stumbling block' - stumbling block is an idiom and this means something in our way, preventing progress

'absence of tension' - lack of trouble

paternalistically - like a father, but condescending

'mythical concept of time' - not realistic or true

'lukewarm acceptance' - not enthusiastic

bewildering - confusing

'outright rejection' - a complete, obvious 'no'

'dangerously structured dams' - a stumbling block

plight - situation (usually difficult or negative)

boil - a large ugly, often infected, spot on the body