Next week will mark the 80th birthday of civil and human rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.
Over 40 years after his death individuals around the world continue to celebrate his contributions to humanity for equality and peace.
However, while his social contributions were monumental, it’s also important to remember that King was first and foremost a minister of the gospel, called and ordained to deliver the transforming message of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Even if he had not accepted the sacrificial call to lead millions of people to the “promised land” of equal opportunity, King would most certainly have had a record as an outstanding preacher.
King’s anointing as a minister shined throughout his entire life, from his days as a theologian at Boston Seminary, to his leadership as pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, and Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
The instructions of Christ on how to treat our fellow human beings, as well as the social teachings of Gandhi, built the foundation of America’s non-violent movement for social change.
King’s faith enabled him (with the help of tireless lieutenants) to, for the first time in history, harness the collective power of Black churches to peacefully challenge unjust and oppressive laws built on decades of discrimination.
His devotion to Christ was unquestioned, but King also strongly believed in interfaith unity, and he conferred on pressing issues with other faith leaders of his day such as Malcolm X and Pope Paul VI.
This week I’d like to share a few spoken and written spiritual passages from the ministry of Martin Luther King Jr. Some you’ve probably heard or read before, others you might not have. But they all remain inspirational to us today:
“The belief that God will do everything for man is untenable as the belief that man can do everything for himself. It, too, is based on a lack of faith. We must learn that to expect God to do everything while we do nothing is not faith but superstition.”
“When in future generations men look back upon these turbulent tension-filled days through which we are passing, they will see God working through history for the salvation of man.”
“Now the judgment of God is upon us, and we must either learn to live together as brothers or we are going to perish together as fools.”
From the book Trumpet of Conscience (1967).
“Christianity has always insisted that the cross we bear precedes the crown we wear.”
“I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land.”
“So the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist will we be. Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice — or will we be extremists for the cause of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary’s hill, three men were crucified. We must not forget that all three were crucified for the same crime —the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thusly fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment.”
