May his memory never be "Santaized," simplified, and disconnected from the faith that motivated his actions. May it never be forgotten that he fought for much more than his stance on racial issues- the worked for peace, fair wages, and to end poverty in America. I was given the opportunity and means to read King's Letter from Birmingham Jail over the weekend, which proved to be the spiritual guidance I needed to fully appreciate MLK Day at Taylor. You should read it to more deeply understand King's worldview which gave him courage to pursue the just cause of racial reconciliation and human rights. You can read it or download the pdf here. Trust me, it's worth the read.
"...as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a bit of satisfaction from being considered an extremist. Was not Jesus an extremist for love -- "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice -- "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ -- "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus...'"
In other news...
Here's a brilliant tribute to my generation with an updated We Didn't Start the Fire from the IHT
-and-
In two weeks I will go from student to teacher...
1 comment:
amen, amen, amen. thank you for sharing the 'opportunity and means' to read MLK's brilliant birminghamian epistle ;-) his words, especially his criticism of the church and his insistence on nonviolent resistance which stand out to me today, are just as true now as they were when he wrote it. may we seek to live as extremists for embodying Love!
love you ;-)
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