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.
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
