On April 3, 1968,
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his last sermon at Mason Temple in
Memphis. He was there to encourage the
sanitation workers who were on strike.
Dr. King begins the sermon by surveying history, asking the question,
“If I could be alive at any point in human history, what time would I
choose?” After recounting milestone
moments, he says that he wants to be alive in the second half of the 20th
century. He says, “Now that’s a strange
statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick.
Trouble is in the land; confusion all around. That’s a strange statement. But I
know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”
Those words are as
true today as they were fifty-five years ago.
He talks about how we are forced to grapple with issues, to address
human rights, and how even when you are poor you have the power of economic
withdrawal. This remains true
today. We are continuing to grapple,
strive/seek human rights for all, and know that where we spend our dollars
collectively matter and make a difference.
King reflects on
the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Using
the power of sacred imagination he says, “And you know, it’s possible that the
priest and the Levite looked over that man on the ground and wondered if the
robbers were still around. Or it’s possible that they felt that the man on the
ground was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, to
seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And so the
first question that the priest asked—the first question that the Levite asked
was, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But then the Good
Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this
man, what will happen to him?”
He talks about how
years before he had been stabbed at a book signing that almost killed him. That if he would have sneezed, he would be
dead. But because he didn’t sneeze, he was
able to live and work for equality and justice.
On the night before he was assassinated, he concludes with these
chilling words, “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has
its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will.
And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve
seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know
tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!”
As we honor the
life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I encourage you to read
some of his sermons today or you can listen to one on YouTube. I encourage you to reflect on the Parable of
the Good Samaritan, how we can love each other, even when the world is “all
messed up” (to us King’s words). I
encourage you to join in grappling with issues through Sacred Conversations on
Race on Wednesdays, to engage in the struggle for human rights with your whole
head, heart, and lives, and know that where and how you spend your dollars
matter.
May God’s grace
and courage continue to guide each of us and our church in these days as we
seek to do justice, show loving kindness, and walk humbly with God each
day. Amen.
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