The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s widow called upon the memory of her late husband Monday to urge world leaders to settle their differences peacefully, especially to avoid a painful war in Iraq.
Attending commemorative services at a church in Landover, Md., with his wife Laura, President Bush proclaimed "there is still work to do" to fulfill the assassinated civil rights leader’s dream of equality in America.
Coretta Scott King urged a packed crowd of about 1,000 at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to honor the memory of King, who would have turned 74 last Wednesday. The federal King Day holiday, first celebrated in 1986, is on the third Monday in January.
"We commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. as a great champion of peace who warned us that war was a poor chisel for carving out a peaceful tomorrow," King said. "We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means. Martin said, 'True peace is not just the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice.'"
Her comments came as the United States is considering military action against Iraq.
The daylong celebration of King's birthday was marked across the nation with memorials, church services and reflection. The ceremony at Ebenezer Baptist Church opened with songs and hymns, including "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Lift Every Voice and Sing."
At the Maryland service, Bush reflected on King’s spiritual side. "It is fitting that we honor Martin Luther King in a church," he said, "because I believe, like you, that the power of his words, the clarity of his vision, the courage of his leadership, occurred because he put his faith in the Almighty."
"It is fitting that we honor this great American in a church because, out of church comes the notion of equality and justice," the president said at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden.
"Even though progress has been made," he said, "there is still work to do. There is still prejudice. ... There's still a need for us to hear the words of Martin Luther King so that the word of hope reaches everywhere in the land.
"As we remember the dream of Martin Luther King, and remember his clear vision for a society that's equal, a society full of justice, this society must remember the power of faith," Bush said. "This government of yours must welcome faith, not discriminate faith, as we deal with the future of this great country."
