Martin Luther King, Jr.
I've been reading some in my only collection of the writings of Martin Luther King Jr and i'm incredibly impressed. This one man had an absolutely huge impact on the course of American history. What could have been known as the War for Black Freedom is called the Civil Rights Movement largely because of this man's leadership. The first section is about non-violence. King reiterated a few facts about non-violence multiple times in the first few articles in the book: 1. He taught that non-violence is not a cowardly way out of sacrifice but the willingness to sacrifice yourself in the place of others. 2. He never sought to humiliate or defeat his opponent...the end goal is always restoration and reconciliation. 3. King was adamant that the war was not between blacks and whites but between justice and injustice. "We are out to defeat injustice and not white persons who may be unjust." (18) 4. The non-violent person must be willing to suffer without retaliation. 5. Non-violence can't end with your actions...harboring hatred in your heart is not the answer. Love was the center of his message. Agape love that was not affected by a persons actions. 6. King was convinced that God was working on the side of justice and as such he was optimistic about the future
At a time when race relations were incredibly heated I can't imagine what would have happened if there was a weaker man at the helm of the civil rights movement. King's passion for love, his love for the people oppressing him changed the course of American history in a major way. King had a multitude of opportunities to say "Justice at all costs" and pass out some rifles. The black people probably even had the right to take up arms against their oppressors in lots of towns. There were obviously violent times but King's constant message of peace, love and reconciliation shaped America into what she is today. We would not have recovered from a racial war by now. (We aren't over our prejudice yet...but this is largely demonstrated by indifference now instead of the bitter hatred that would have stemmed from a race war.) That God saw fit to raise King to prominence with these crazy (Christian) ideas about not fighting back and about loving our attackers is amazing in and of itself.
Praise God for Martin Luther King, Jr and his valiant Christian leadership in the face of the worst kind of trials...our world would not be the same without his actions.
At a time when race relations were incredibly heated I can't imagine what would have happened if there was a weaker man at the helm of the civil rights movement. King's passion for love, his love for the people oppressing him changed the course of American history in a major way. King had a multitude of opportunities to say "Justice at all costs" and pass out some rifles. The black people probably even had the right to take up arms against their oppressors in lots of towns. There were obviously violent times but King's constant message of peace, love and reconciliation shaped America into what she is today. We would not have recovered from a racial war by now. (We aren't over our prejudice yet...but this is largely demonstrated by indifference now instead of the bitter hatred that would have stemmed from a race war.) That God saw fit to raise King to prominence with these crazy (Christian) ideas about not fighting back and about loving our attackers is amazing in and of itself.
Praise God for Martin Luther King, Jr and his valiant Christian leadership in the face of the worst kind of trials...our world would not be the same without his actions.
