Wisdom of Dr. King Part 1

 

On this Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we pause to lean in and listen to the words of Dr. King.  I encourage, and even implore you, to go beyond the I Have a Dream speech.  Dr. King wrote five books: Stride Toward Freedom, 1958; the story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the beginning of the Nonviolent Civil Rights Movement. Strength to Love, 1963. This is a collection of Dr. King’s most requested sermons.  The Trumpet of Conscience, 1968, this book is taken from the 1967 Massey Lectures which King gave through the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. King addresses issues including the Vietnam War, youth and civil disobedience and concludes with the “Christmas Sermon for Peace.”  Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967. An assessment of America’s priorities and a warning that they need to be re-ordered.  Why We Can’t Wait, 1963. The essential writings of Martin Luther King, Jr.  In addition, he preached thousands of sermons and countless lectures.  There is so much we can still learn from Dr. King, and this will take more than one day or one week or one month.

 

Today, I want to share with you a few quotes from Jim and Priscilla Crumel that they find meaningful from Dr. King.  I invite you slowly savor each quote, pause, and prayerfully ponder what the words mean to you personally, for our church, and for our community/country:

 

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. ~ Where have you encountered injustice in your life?  Where do you see injustice today?  How can our church stand with those who are oppressed today?

 

True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. ~ Justice is one of our Core Values we seek to embrace and embody, but this needs to be active and intentional (please note that doesn’t mean we will get it always right, we will make mistakes in standing for justice).  What is one way this month we can engage in peace and justice?

 

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that, Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.  Or as Richard Rohr says, “The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the good.”  Note, these words will challenge us and others won’t understand/even criticize us or cynically try to convince us we are failing.  But yelling at each other, violence, hating and canceling each other doesn’t “work” either.  Christ’s life is a light to our lives and how can we light the Christ light shine in us and through us in these days?

 

We will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.  Today, I ask you to find a way you can do this through words, actions, conversations, learning, and letting your light shine.

 

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.  Amen!

 

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.  Is there a matter you are keeping silent about right now?  Is there a way you can begin to find your voice?  Please note this doesn’t mean you need to go buy a bullhorn and stand at the street corner.  There are so many ways you can let your voice be heard in the world today.  I encourage you to find those spaces for the world needs you now more than ever.  May these words today inspire and infuse you to be a light for justice in the world.  Amen.