01 Mar Cuz We Love Martin
When you think of Martin Luther King, Jr., chances are good that the very first thing that enters your mind are his contributions as a civil rights activist, and it’s little wonder why. Odds are also effective that some of the words from his famous I Have a Dream speech surface in your mind from time to time. Even though those words were first said over 50 years ago, the tips he gave voice to are timeless and powerful.
He pictured a world so unique from the one he lived in and devoted his time and energy to working for improvement. It’s not easy to read these words and not be moved by their beauty and truth:
“I have a dream that one day this country will rise up and live out the real implication of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to become self-evident, that all men are created equal.’
I have a vision that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will manage to sit down together at the table of brotherhood … I have a dream that my four kids will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their personality … I have a dream that … one day … in Alabama little black boys and black girls will manage to join hands with little white boys and white girls as brothers and sisters.”
Martin’s words motivate a greater brotherhood, kindness, and respect among all people. They prompt one to think about the idea that character is the only rubric that truly matters, and also hostility can give solution to peace.
While he is recognized and respected for his work as a great civil rights leader, his duty as a faithful religious leader is often overlooked. Aside from tenaciously benefiting social change, he was also enthusiastic about his faith. Complying with in the footsteps of those who came before him, he worked and became a pastor to inspire others through sharing God’s word.
In an article on pbs.org (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2006/01/13/january-13-2006-martin-luther-king-jr-as-pastor/1788/), Professor Lewis Baldwin (Professor of Religious Studies and Director of African American Studies at Vanderbilt University) said this:
“Many labels were attached to him during his lifetime. He was knowned as a civil rights activist; he was called a social activist, a social change agent, a world figure. But I think he visualised himself first and foremost as a preacher, as a Christian pastor.”
This is an affirmation that works, mirroring what it says in Proverbs 23:7: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” His beliefs motivated his diligent work, regardless of opposition and persecution that ultimately cost him his life when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968. His work wasn’t wasted, because what he fought for still stirs us; his message is just as applicable today as it was when he was alive. He spent his life to working for changes we desperately needed to see in this nation, but he did so while addressing others with respect. This was yet another philosophy that he taught so eloquently when he said:
“In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our crave freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must eternally conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.”
If everyone made a conscious effort to live like that, what a different world it would be!
Forgeting the fact that MLK Jr. was a churchman is to be blind to the fact that his opinions were a driving force in all that he did. Aside from becoming a widely-known public figure, he was something else long before that: a church leader, seeking to elevate, teach, and look after his flock.
The work of church pastors is still valued and necessary today. And even though beliefs and creeds vary, we are united by a brotherhood and sisterhood higher than the differences that divide us. The work that churches do is important, and we love being able to witness this work in individual congregations as we provide transportation for church groups. Whether you need help getting the choir to a community event, need to transport a youth group to an activity, or need to shuttle groups at a local community service project, we’d love to be there to assist you!
No Comments