The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr

I'm old enough to remember when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 – 52 years ago. That date gives me pause. It did then when I was holding my one-year-old baby boy in my arms and hearing the horrendous news of the assassination of this passionate, honorable man who endeavored to make a difference in this world of anger and hate. It was only five years previously, sitting in my 10th Grade Geometry class, that the news came over the loud speaker that President Kennedy had been shot. We “paused” to pray, and later found out that he had passed away. Today, I “pause” again to pray earnestly for our country, our leaders and for an outbreak of a love revolution. As Dr. King said, “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” And as Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”. (Matthew 5:43-44)

The night before he was killed, Dr. King spoke at a church in Memphis. He had been receiving death threats for over 10 years but never shied away from public appearances. "We've got some difficult days ahead, but it doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. 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 isn’t that what we all should be saying and living out in our lives – “I just want to do God’s will.” Dr. King was right: God calls us to stand for what is right because it is right. Whatever the cost, whatever it takes, wherever He leads.

I know of no better way to honor Dr. King than to mimic him in and his memory by beginning each day with the strong desire to do God's will and to serve his God.

What does doing God’s will look like? I think it looks like Martin Luther King’s relentless pursuit of peace, goodwill to all men (and women). It is putting aside “anything goes” and living with zeal and determination to make a difference in this world. This isn't a day and time to muddle through and hide in a crowd or a cubicle or a boardroom or classroom. If I’ve come to know about those who have given their lives for our country and those who lived lives of relentless passion for others – it is what I desire my life to look like. So much good has come from the dreams and passion of Martin Luther King Jr. What will be said of our dreams and passion in 52 years?

A True Difference Maker -- Happy MLK Day!

Today we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. On January 20, 1986, President Ronald Reagan approved the creation of this national holiday, held the 3rd Monday in January of each year. What a price MLK paid for this day of honor.

He lived an extraordinary life. At 33, he was pressing for civil rights with President John Kennedy. At 34, he galvanized the nation with his "I Have a Dream" speech. At 35, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. At 39, he was assassinated, but he left a legacy of hope and inspiration that continues today. I'm one of those he inspired. Those years were some of my first awareness of the atrocities of racial discrimination and the civil rights riots that made us feel like our country was falling apart. It really was. For the love of God, how could this happen to "one nation UNDER GOD"?

Today we honor this passionate, bold and courageous "Baptist minister" who gave his life to change our world. I remember his words just before his assassination in 1968: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." MLK was in good company with these words of Jesus in Matthew 5:44, “Love your enemies! Bless them that curse you! Do good to them that hate you! Pray for them who spitefully use you, and persecute you!” That sounds preposterous, doesn't it? How could we possibly love someone that hurt us or rejected us or cursed us? How absolutely IMPOSSIBLE these words seem to be! Only through the supernatural power of LOVE -- God's love -- can it be possible.

He gave up his life so that those who had been ostracized and marginalized, simply because of the color of their skin, could experience abundant life. That sounds familiar, doesn’t it? John 10:10 says “And Jesus came and gave His life so that we could have abundant life.” MLK was in good company, wasn’t he?

MLK fought against injustice without violence. He overcame evil through the power of love. He followed the example of Jesus, who chose to forgive his persecutors even as they were killing him. That’s our calling as followers of Jesus. Unfairness and injustice may be part of the human condition, but when we don't feed into it, we are responding in the love of God.

Relentless passion in pursuit of a dream is what men AND women like MLK are made of . . . and look what one life did to change HIS world. To think and speak on behalf of others is noteworthy, to serve and act on behalf of others is heroic, but what do we call someone who gave his words, actions and life on behalf of others? Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the few people in history who has so profoundly changed the world in such a short time. His visions and actions for social unity, racial brotherhood, true peace, and social welfare were carefully thought out and acted upon. He fought the good fight and kept the faith.

Lord, help us to love relentlessly and pursue the dreams you would have for us to invest our lives in -- to make this world a better place for just having been here. Thank you, Martin Luther King, for your example of "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13