 Sunday, January 14, 2007 Reprint |
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It was in the sweltering heat of August of 1963 that a
diminutive preacher from Georgia rocked America's world
with his fabled, "I Have A Dream" speech. Just
as the doorposts of the Temple shook when the angels sang
in Isaiah's vision of the 6th chapter of his book, the
doorposts of this Nation shook when Martin Luther King,
Jr. preached that day to the Nation and the world.
Those were difficult times in America. The headiness of
post World War Two optimism, the Camelot visions of John
Fitzgerald Kennedy, and America's emerging industrial
might were beginning to give way to cynicism in the wake
of The Bay of Pigs (the failed attempt at overthrowing
Fidel Castro) the Cuban missile crisis, and the violent
turn in the Civil Rights movement. The earlier,
relatively peaceful protests of the movement had given
way to the violence of Montgomery and Selma, the horrors
of the Edmund Pettis Bridge, the church bombing in
Birmingham, and the deaths of civil rights workers
Goodman, Schwerner and Cheney. America needed a
time out to pause, reflect, and assess the gravity of its
dirty little secret-racism. Recent violence had made this
country and its talk of freedom, an international
laughing stock. Martin Luther King's speech that day in
August provided this country an opportunity to do a soul
evaluation, the like of which had never previously
occurred.
There was some naivety in King's words. The address
was laden with optimism, but then, one could make the
case that most optimism needs to be fueled by naivety.
King believed that the issue was purely Black and White.
His whole objective was to argue that Blacks should
have access to the American Dream.
For a century, old Civil War wounds had been swept under
the rug. As a capitulation to unity, compromises with the
South were permitted and constitutional rights for people
of color ignored. President Kennedy was in a
difficult position himself, as the Democratic Party
during Reconstruction had dismantled all the legitimate
gains of emancipation, while promoting Jim Crow
segregation. The Democratic party of the 1960s was
still heavily influenced by what Southern Democrats or
Dixiecrats believed. King simply argued that it was time
to put away the past and permit Blacks their legitimate
rights under the law.
However, the challenge King faced was not just about the
former Confederacy. Segregation in the North was of a
dejure, or subtle style. Defacto segregation, laws,
white only signs, etc., did not exist in the North, but
racism was clearly enforced in hiring practices,
neighborhood discrimination, and admission to colleges
and universities. King's violent reception in Cicero,
Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, would affirm that fact.
Over time, King's understanding of the nature of racism
would change. The King of the "I Have A Dream"
speech was still growing and developing. Soon he would
come to see that this was not just a Black-White issue.
He would soon move to a more populist position and
recognize that an oppressive economic system was the
global factor that fueled racism and ethnic injustice
around the world. Many conjecture that this later stance
is what cost King his life.
As we reflect on Dr. King's legacy, we thank God for a
leader who was courageous enough to fight the power long
before it was fashionable to do so, and who was morally
and spiritually large enough to grow in his understanding
of the insidious and demonic nature of racism.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was the drum major for
justice who helped the world to see that words of the
prophet Amos remain true. In spite of hatred, anger and
violent recriminations, one day, "Justice will
run down like waters and righteousness as an ever flowing
stream."
Readings
for January 21, 2007: Nehemiah 8:1-10; Psalm 19; 1
Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21
***
OUR PURPOSE
Building the Village by Caring
Concept: Our pastor, the Reverend Wallace Charles Smith, envisions a holistic Ministry of Building by Caring, which includes a 3-tier approach - Care for Ourselves (spiritually), Care for Our Relations (family, friends and members), and Care for Our Community (outreach). In building our capacity to care we will also create an atmosphere that will increase our church's membership, winning more souls to Christ; they will know we are Christians by our love;.
