On this the 25th Anniversary of the national celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it strikes me that in the myriad discussions and analyses of King, his life and the manifestations of his efforts, that we overlook an obvious question--why did he do what he did? A simple answer lies in the environment of segregation and second class citizenship in which he came of age. While that clearly had an influence on King, methinks that there had to be something else, for there are many people across the human experience, including contemporaries of King, who find themselves in the midst of an unfair or unfortunate situation. So what made the good Reverend different? A simple word--L-O-V-E.
The presence of love operates on three levels--love for self, others and God. Now how you measure love I do not know, but it seems that inside King's soul lied a greater capacity for love than many possess, or maybe he just made the most out of the love he had. At any rate, it is his love for self that motivated him to make the most of his God given talents and to pursue his dreams and goals in a manner that demanded his best and one which lit the fire that ignited his passion and drive. His love for others is made clear in his willingness to pursue justice. Similarly, especially when one reads his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" we see that his pursuit of justice--which essentially is simply about doing the right thing (not according to man's standards but God's) is rooted in his love for God and respect for the expectations HE holds of us.
I choose to remember Dr. King as a divine servant. It is from the wellspring of love that service emanates. After all, what is love if it is not sacrifice? And the root of serving others is sacrifice and submission. The example Dr. King sets for us, whether as activists, as Christians (who are required by Christ to serve), as humans, and particularly as a man, renders his birth a day worth celebrating. A quick note about King's manhood--it strikes me today that in a culture that often creates a deficient yet sadly rigid definition of what it means to be a man, King might be viewed as a punk, as soft, two words every man cringes if labeled. He didn't have swag, he eschewed material goods and big paychecks, and though he had a secret affinity for ladies, gave no indication that his legacy or identity was defined by his sexual prowess. Yet interestingly, the level of respect held for this soft dude is at an all-time high, and what do men crave more than anything? Respect--so maybe he was that guy after all.
Dr. King, as a man, a leader, an activist, a human, a Christian, embodies the very essence of how we who aspire to make a difference ought to pattern our thoughts and actions. Ephesisans 4:1-3 lays out for all of us what God expects:
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., you truly answered God's call. Thank you for demonstrating how one of the easiest things for people to exercise--love--is in and of itself a powerful force for making this world a better place.
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