MLK. Reflections on quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by members of The Summit Church

Transcription

1 MLK Reflections on quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by members of The Summit Church

2 Another way that you love your enemy is this: When the opportunity presents itself for you to defeat your enemy, that is the time which you must not do it. There will come a time, in many instances, when the person who hates you most, the person who has misused you most, the person who has gossiped about you most, the person who has spread false rumors about you most, there will come a time when you will have an opportunity to defeat that person. It might be in terms of a recommendation for a job; it might be in terms of helping that person to make some move in life. That s the time you must not do it. That is the meaning of love. In these divided times in which we live, Dr. King s quote reminds me that the love of Christ is not just meant to be theoretical. His love is meant to be expressed in practical ways that impact those around us, even those with whom we disagree. Jaron Charles Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection. More than 50 years ago, the great Martin Luther King Jr. implored his white Christian and Jewish brothers to resist the urge to stay silent in the wake of oppression because they wanted to return to a life of peace and order. Today, our black brothers and sisters are still crying out to us to resist that same urge. King s greatest sorrow was not over the hatred in the world, but rather the apathy and silence from those who should be the first to speak out on injustice: the church. When we stay silent while those around us are victims of racial injustice, it isn t just a sin against our fellow man. It is an affront to the Holy God in whose image they were created. I m thankful for the message preached by King, and one that my black brothers and sisters so graciously remind me: in the wake of injustice, the silence from friends hurts far worse than the hatred of enemies. Lord, let us be a people that fight for one another. Racial superiority has no place in the church of Christ. The gospel message we cling to should point us not to our differences, but to our commonality. We are all human, all sinful and all desperately in need of the salvation we can only get through the blood Jesus poured out on a cross. Caroline Barnhill

3 Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Even a superficial look at history reveals that no social advance rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. Every step towards the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. Without persistent effort, time itself becomes an ally of the insurgent and primitive forces of irrational emotionalism and social destruction. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action. Looking back on the tragedies and victories that took place in Montgomery during the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King pressed in on an issue of eternal importance. Ever since sin entered the world, God has been using people made in his image to be agents of reconciliation and restoration. As I look to Jesus, I see his sacrifice, his suffering and his struggle and I m compelled to show love in that same way to my neighbor. I see in Jesus a persistent effort and vigorous and positive action that drew me to himself and calls me to do the same for my neighbor. Dr. King was calling everyone to act in the way of Christ with full confidence that the righting of injustice would be the sure fruit of this faithfulness. The impact of this idea in my life has been overwhelming as I evaluate for what or for whom I sacrifice, suffer, and struggle, and it creates a heartbreaking honesty as I see the fruit of my often persistent effort. Josh Joyner No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. We continue to be inspired by the basic truth that faithful believers in Jesus Christ live the life that God desires by seeking and exhibiting true justice and righteousness in all areas of our lives. Dr. King spoke these words at a time when major changes and turmoil was happening. We must still battle for God-honoring justice and righteousness today in our country and the Body of Christ and not become satisfied with anything less. George Derbyshire Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. It is easy to ignore how our lives are all tied so closely together. If I believe we are all children of God, and we are all His image bearers, equally loved and valued by him, then this serves as a reminder that I ought to pray

4 for not just myself, my family, my friends, or my church, but every church, every family, and every child of God. It should not be acceptable to me that everything in my little corner of the world (my life,my job, my environment) is stable when someone else down the street or across the world doesn t have food to eat or is taken advantage of by the very people they should be able to trust to advocate for and protect them. The reality is, every day I have the ability to choose justice. In small ways, like the businesses I choose to buy from and in larger ways, like the people that I vote to put in office. These things impact both the person down the street from me and across the world. Until we start praying to become more like Jesus, making decisions that are for the good of the whole and not just for ourselves, we will continue to be people who frustrate the progress of justice for our brothers and sisters in our own backyards and around the world. Lauren Baggett I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen s Councilor or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to order than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice This quote sinks into my heart and gnaws away at my conscience. When I read this, I think of Jesus in Revelation when he says because you are lukewarm I will spit you out of my mouth. It is so easy as a white, middle-class, American Christian to think that race issues are something that affect other people. And to think that racism is the domain of the those who don the hood. It s ingrained in our culture to keep the peace rather than stir the pot. But we can t miss that our complacency makes us complicit in the sins, oppression, and pain caused by our society. There is nothing about following Jesus that tells us it s okay to see other people s problems as simply their own. We are inter-connected in Christ, and racial reconciliation is the work of every believer. April Schweitzer Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I m struck by how easy it is to perpetuate systems of injustice how we spend our money, how we vote, who

5 we choose to spend our time with. And it doesn t just hurt those who are marginalized. When we fail to care for the least of these, or we neglect to share in our brothers burdens, we are tarnishing the image of God both in them and in ourselves. May God help us to love like him! John Schweitzer In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. I ve often been struck by the breadth of friendships Dr. King had across race, denomination, and politics. Foremost, he sought unity in the name of Jesus Christ. As God has increased the diversity in my own friendships, it has dramatically impacted my burden for God s church, and specifically, The Summit Church, to not just pray for racial equality but to chase after it, to work for it, to speak out for it. For anyone to remain silent on the sidelines of racial injustice can only reveal they don t truly have friendships with those who are most affected by it. Because no true, gospel-centered friend would be silent while another friend suffers. In 2018, may we at the Summit diversify our friendships, and make them gospel-centered. For me, that s a way of serving Jesus Christ with my life and relationships today. Carole Inman The worth of an individual does not lie in the measure of his intellect, his racial origin or his social position. Human worth lies in relatedness to God. An individual has value because he has value to God. Whenever this is recognized, whiteness and blackness pass away as determinants in a relationship and son and brother are substituted. As I read this quote spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the first thing that comes to mind is a need for repentance. How many times throughout the day have I failed to see others as my brother or sister? How many times throughout the day have I used my position of privilege to further my own agenda and not fight for those who experience injustice? Though Dr. King spoke those words 46 years ago, they still hold power for today. Each human being has value, not for anything he or she has done, but because they are of value to God. In the church s fight against injustice, first I pray that we as a body of believers would repent of the ways in which we

6 neglect and oppress our brothers and sisters. Second, I pray that we can use our positions of privilege and influence to fight for those who experience injustice. We must lay down our lives and agendas to help others in the same way that Christ laid down his position of privilege to rescue us from the grave. Just as Dr. King believed that we as a nation would overcome racial injustice, I too believe that we will prevail over injustice when we begin to treat others as image bearers of the most high God. Crista Carter History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people. I was a child of the 1950 s and I remember well the days of the civil rights movement in our country. The social unrest that characterized that era demonstrations, marches in the streets, and lunch counter sit-ins. I remember segregation in schools, restaurants, public transportation, and places of worship. I recall the voices that rose above the fray. Songs that spoke of freedom such as We Shall Overcome and I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free. Dr. Martin Luther King was a courageous voice for justice in his day. He was not silent at a time when speaking up came at great cost. He was a true leader and one that inspired belief in what could be and should be. Today, as then, we continue to witness injustice and increasing racism. There are those among us who are choosing to remain silent when the truth has little value while people of character seem to be ridiculed by those that believe in winning at any cost. Now it seems that power belongs to entities that mock and disparage others for the sake of their own egos and agendas. We cannot afford to be silent. Some have gone on record by saying enough and we should join together in support of the courageous among us who would foster unity in the midst of a time of great division. May God help us all. Sue Ellen Thompson

7 In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be...this is the inter-related structure of reality. This reinforces and reminds my heart and mind of two great truths in God s Word. The first is that we are all the body of Christ. If part of the body is suffering injustice, the entire body is affected. We can t claim to be thriving as a body if part of the body is having a constant struggle due to injustice. When one of the body is affected we are all affected! The second is the deep, powerful, and moving truth that we are all created in the image of God. We are rescued and saved by our Creator. I have seen what happens when people are deceived or told this doesn t apply to them. I pray we are aware, as Dr. King put so explicitly, that when our brothers and sisters of color feel less than, we can stand with them and look at what the cross communicates about our worth. We are all a mess and in need of rescue and more loved and valued than we ever dreamed. Let us not take for granted any lack of struggle we have been given in life to be an excuse to be complacent. I thank the Lord that he gave us his Spirit, but also that he gave us his body that we don t ever have to stand alone. Wendy Simmons Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them is a spiritually moribund religion awaiting burial. The wellbeing of our neighbors is a barometer of the state of our hearts. Where I have failed to care for others, I am grateful for Christ s mercy and the intensity with which he has loved us, even at great cost to himself. What Christ accomplished on the cross extends beyond social or political change yet should have an impact on how we love our community. His death and resurrection have the power to transform from within and reunite us with our Creator and one another so that we can become his body that ministers to the community. In fact, it is his mercy that compels me to serve those who are in need, because this is how I would want others to treat me if I were in need. The gospel provides the power and knowledge to better care for those around me. What if our members would go beyond what most would do in charity and seek out those who have been given the least, share with them

8 what we have, and treat them as we would want to be treated in the same circumstance? If everyone who follows Christ did this, there would be an awakening to Jesus that would change the world. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. (Luke 14:13-14 ESV) Chris Rudolph I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. For a kid growing up in a racially divided city, these words give more than hope, they give direction. I could see in my mind the reality of his dream. And because I could see it, I could take the steps to get there. Dr. King did more than just accurately diagnose the problems facing a divided America, he provided a prescription. He had an amazing ability to give full weight to the harshest of injustices, yet with hope. Fifty years later, we face similar realities, but as we celebrate the life of Dr. King, I hope we will do so with the same hope evoked in this speech. Jonathan Lenker There was a time when the church was very powerful in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. I truly cannot think of a leader that has been more exemplary than Dr. King in showing the world what it looks like to believe that God will make the earth to be like it is in heaven. There was nothing fickle or cheap about his faith in the gospel. Instead, it empowered him to courageous action. As a result, where most men and women would shrink in fear, Dr. King rose in faith. Perhaps most markedly for our modern attention, Dr. King refused to tolerate the sins of omission that many churchgoers readily commit. I m afraid that we might be too easily tempted to neglect James 4:17 refusing to

9 do what we know we ought to do. It s undeniable that sin and injustice still plague our worldly, still unredeemed institutions. So then where are the moral voices that are calling for justice and righteousness? We should be able to point to ourselves, and we should be able to do so in good conscience. Dr. King warned that if the church didn t retain a sacrificial spirit, that it would be in danger of being dismissed as an irrelevant social club. The world is watching, and it sees how the church responds or fails to respond to immorality across our country and the globe. The power of God is waiting to work reconciliation. Are we, like Dr. King, ready to be conduits for that power to be released? Jonathan Dickerson First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro s great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen s Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can t agree with your methods of direct action ; who paternalistically feels he can set the timetable for another man s freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a more convenient season. The relevance today of what MLK wrote in a Birmingham jail more than 50 years ago is shocking. Are things different 50 years later? Sure. Things have evolved, but not in a way that makes these words irrelevant. I also know I am too often the white moderate, the cautious stumbling block. I know why I am cautious. It is because I know that standing up for justice may very well be costly for me. When I read MLK s words here, Philippians 2 came to mind immediately. Applying these words over the years has reshaped my life many times. What would it mean to count others more significant than myself? Is there a personal price I could pay for justice that is greater than the price Christ paid for me? Am I ready to say that the privilege of my life is not a thing to be grasped but laid aside for my brother? Trying to answer these questions has led me to these conclusions. I want to be bold in the pursuit of justice. I am ready to make mistakes pursuing what is just and right because doing nothing to avoid being wrong makes me complicit, not cautious. By God s grace, I want to live out the gospel in the most radical way. Matt Humble

10 I have a dream that my children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. My wife and I are white. Our adopted son is black. He is one of the greatest decisions we have ever made. We want to celebrate and teach him about his rich cultural heritage and the beauty of his adoption. At the same time, we don t view him as our adopted son or our black son. He is simply our son. Our prayer for him is that Dr. King s words would ring true in his life; that his character would be the aroma of Christ to those around him. We long for our son to be knowledgeable and confident in his cultural identity as a black man. However, our greatest desire is that he would find his ultimate confidence and ultimate identity in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We are beyond thankful for Dr. King s life and toil and a speech that reminds us that the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. Today, may we all do the same. Eric Chetwood Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue. The glory of God is not found in sameness; it is found in a cacophony of collective voices and colors and history and expressions saying together, Hallelujah, he is our God! In God, we are not separate. There is no monologue among the believers of history, except in their worship of God. From the beginning of time, we were to be a people who were diverse (man and woman) yet united with and within God. And this will only happen with humility and contrition. My prayer is that we would find a unified dialogue within the American church, that we would be diversely unified in our worship of Jesus, and that the Holy Spirit, who leads us in this, would indwell us richly. Lucinda Lathan Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. When I think about what The Summit Church has meant to me as a woman of color and how it has provided a

11 space for me to not only worship freely but to be employed, I see the ways that the church is moving towards justice. As Dr. King says, progress does not come overnight and it requires the work of everyone. I think that the people of the Summit are active and working towards justice by choosing to live on gospel mission in their communities and through local outreach. I am encouraged to work towards racial reconciliation with my Summit family tirelessly working by my side. Alexandria Da Ponte People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don t know each other; they don t know each other because they have not communicated with each other. What are you afraid of? Public speaking? Spiders? Losing your cell signal? How about approaching a stranger in a social, or even a church setting? What if that stranger is of a different ethnicity? Or a different socio-economic background? A different age or generation? Just plain old different? While viewed by opponents in his time as a divider, in the timeless quality of MLK s words we instead see the consistent voice of a man that wanted us to see through these differences and unite us in freedom, freedom for all of God s children, black men and white men, Jew and Gentile, Protestants and Catholics. In light of this, Dr. King s words challenge me to communicate, truly communicate with my fellow brothers and sisters of color, because, indeed, I do not know them, I do not and cannot know their struggle and I do not do life with them by merely staying in my comfort zone. Short of this, perhaps I have been fearful of that first step, but in living out Dr. King s inspiration and God s promises to all men, I know that I must. Yes, it can be awkward, but Dr. King showed us that it is certainly a very small discomfort, in the light of God s Kingdom and our love for our fellow man, with whom we are truly and most united by our need for God s grace and forgiveness. Olin Wilson Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is more true for christians than for anyone else. Our lives are reoriented to the truth that God is present and dissatisfied with the injustice and meaningless suffering on this earth, and we are bound to live as broken-hearted. An adopted child of God cannot harden her heart to the suffering around her. A believer who sees what is and what should be will never be unaffected by the hurt and injustice around him. As a bearer of

12 the Spirit of God, I am given a fraction of his heart, I am made into a reflection of his Son. I share his joy, his communion, his peace; but also his broken-heartedness. What affects others directly, affects God s children indirectly. As long as the creation that he loves is suffering, I can never be fully at rest. That is an overwhelming thought, but hope is hidden in those words as long as. I can embrace a life of broken-heartedness because God will one day finish what he started and make every broken thing whole again, make injustice and suffering untrue. The broken-heartedness of God s people is a drop in the ocean of eternity. Embrace and even cherish it now, thank God for your broken-heartedness and sow it into his kingdom. Partner it with wisdom and allow it to plunge you into God s redemptive work in the broken world around you just as Dr. King did and when you meet God face to face, lift your broken heart up to him in worship, and he will fix it never to be broken again. Giles Fort