Pastor Randy's Blog

Martin Luther King Elevated Us All

I am into podcasts.  One I have downloaded is from a site called “Great Speeches in History.”  Most all of us have heard the “I Have A Dream” speech, and it is an amazing piece of verbal artistry.  But MLK was not a one-speech man!  This free podcast I downloaded had the entire speech given by Dr Martin Luther King called “Beyond Vietnam.” He spoke against the Vietnam War and the ramifications of it.  Now most of you know that I strongly support our military and am vocal in my appreciation for their service and sacrifice.  But I know this: good Christian men can be on both sides of an issue as grave as war, and while I may agree or disagree with someone on exactly how to pursue the best foreign policy, there is truth to be found on both sides of most every argument.

Podcast available on i-Tunes or listen to it on the web here:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence2.htm

No matter what you believe about the Vietnam War, Dr Martin Luther King’s words are truly great, and they deserve a hearing.  So I share with you some amazing lines from his speech as we approach MLK Day this Monday.  Listen to (and learn from) some inspiring words from the man who dramatically impacted and improved the lives of literally MILLIONS of people – a man deserving of a day which celebrates his accomplishments and memory.

On Valuing Human Life “Beyond the calling of race or nation or creed is this vocation of sonship and brotherhood, and because I believe that the Father is deeply concerned especially for his suffering and helpless and outcast children, I come tonight to speak for them.

This I believe to be the privilege and the burden of all of us who deem ourselves bound by allegiances and loyalties which are broader and deeper than nationalism and which go beyond our nation’s self-defined goals and positions. We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for the victims of our nation and for those it calls “enemy,” for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers.”

On Taking Action Now “We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected with a lost opportunity. The tide in the affairs of men does not remain at flood — it ebbs. We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is adamant to every plea and rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residues of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words, “Too late.” There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect. Omar Khayyam is right: “The moving finger writes, and having writ moves on.”

On Love and Acceptance “This call for a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race, class, and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing and unconditional love for all mankind. This oft misunderstood, this oft misinterpreted concept, so readily dismissed by the Nietzsches of the world as a weak and cowardly force, has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of man. When I speak of love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I am not speaking of that force which is just emotional bosh. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life.”

On Values Our Nation Holds “I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”

As the speech drew to a close, Dr King quoted an amazing poet named James Russell Lowell.  The poem quoted was called “This Present Crisis,” and was written about slavery and its effects on society.  Listen to this great stanza from the poem.

For mankind are one in spirit, and an instinct bears along,

Round the earth’s electric circle, the swift flash of right or wrong;

Whether conscious or unconscious, yet Humanity’s vast frame

Through its ocean-sundered fibres feels the gush of joy or shame;—

In the gain or loss of one race all the rest have equal claim.

See the whole poem here:

http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/7194/

What is this poem saying?  If we create (or tolerate) a world where injustice s commonplace, we all are guaranteed to suffer for it.  We may not ever make the connection, but life is cheapened when we turn a blind eye to suffering and injustice.  Another great quote to share that captures that same sentiment is one from Dr Booker T Washington: “One man cannot hold another man down in the ditch without remaining down in the ditch with him.”

Strangely, Dr Martin Luther King Jr gave this speech exactly one year to the day before he was assassinated (if you like the band U2 like I do, you may recognize the “Early morning, April 4” line from their great song, “Pride”).  MLK was a great man with a great message.  One that has much more to say than was said in “I Have a Dream” alone.  I hope that you will stop sometime on Monday and remember that MLK did not just do something for those whose Civil Rights were being trampled on in the 60’s.  He did something for all of us.  Our world was poorer the minute that he was taken, but richer because he was here.  Thank you, Dr King, for truly helping elevate us all.