“As the worm is transformed into a butterfly in the chrysalis, so is the enemy transformed by our prayers. So also are we changed into a new form, a liberated form closer to God.”
Charles C. Walker, “Prayer of a Righteous Man,” speech Circa 1954.
“The quality of our prayer is affected by what we do. Do we invoke blessing or greed? Can we pray that evil befalls another? Jesus said if you have anything against your brother, go to him and talk it over. Action and prayer are interrelated.”
Charles C. Walker, “Prayer of a Righteous Man,” notes for a speech, circa 1954.
“If you have weapons, take them home; if you do not have them, please do not seek to get them. We cannot solve this problem through retaliatory violence. We must meet violence with nonviolence. Remember the words of Jesus: ‘He who lives by the sword will perish by the sword.’ We must love our white brothers, no matter what they do to us.… We must meet hate with love.”
Martin Luther, King, Jr., Stride Toward Freedom (New York: Ballantine Books, 1958), 111.