By Joelle Wight, president of seventy

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When people come to visit me at my home in Washington, DC, USA, one of my favorite places to take them is the Lincoln Memorial. The memorial itself is beautiful to behold, but the thing I really want them to see is often overlooked. As we climb the stairs toward the main chamber of the memorial, I pause for a moment on a landing between two sets of stairs and draw their eyes down. There, etched into the stone under our feet are the words, “I have a dream…”

These words mark the exact spot where Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous speech at the culmination of the March on Washington in 1963. In this speech, he painted a picture of the world he wanted for his children and for all children—a world where justice prevails and all people are treated with dignity. I often find myself wondering how he was able to imagine that dream, work toward that dream, and hold on to that dream in a world that often seems more like a nightmare. How was he able to continue striving for justice when so many in positions of power around him resisted justice at every turn?

I can’t know for certain what inspired King’s vision of justice and peace, I can’t know for certain what empowered him to use his giftedness in pursuit of that future, and I can’t know for certain what sustained him in that incredibly difficult work. But knowing that he was a man of faith, I can safely assume the Holy Spirit that connects us, empowers us, and sustains us played some role.

When we are baptized in water, we take an important step on our journey with Jesus and agree to participate in his mission in the world. Equally important is our baptism in the Spirit. This baptism helps us remain connected, empowered, and sustained in even the most difficult circumstances so we too can continue to faithfully work toward God’s preferred future for all of creation.

Prayer Phrase

“…he has given us a new birth into a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3).

Spiritual Practice

Weaving a Life

Hold, or imagine yourself holding, a piece of patterned cloth. Examine it carefully. Notice overlapping threads mingling colors that form the design. Write a journal entry or meditate about the threads and patterns of your life. What design do you see? How does the life pattern you are weaving create justice and wholeness in God’s world? What new pattern is God calling you to weave in 2025?

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.