Commemoration January 15
Martin
Luther King, Jr., Renewer of Society, Martyr, d. 1968
Reflection
It seems we know much more about Martin Luther King, Jr.,
than we do about Martin Luther, his namesake. Probably all of us who are old
enough remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news of
his assassination during that tumultuous year. Commemorations are usually noted
on the date of death, in King’s case, April 4. Our calendar observes him today,
on his birthday.
Because we are familiar with various aspects of King’s life,
we will give more space to some of his writing, from his “Letter from
Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963:
. . . I am in Birmingham because
injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their
villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of
their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and
carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Graeco-Roman
world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my home town.
Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.
Moreover, I am
cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit
idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about
what happens in Birmingham.
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.
Prayer
Gracious God, Thank you for your servant, Martin Luther
King, Jr., and for his bold conviction that all people are created in your
Image, with dignity and value, and for his tireless efforts toward justice.
Give us that same conviction. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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