As we celebrate today’s holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday (he would have been 89 today), it is important to remember what was at the heart of Dr. King’s life and witness – faith in God and following the way of Jesus. Instead of using a printed quote from Dr. King, I want to share a short video taken from one of his sermons in which he describes a transforming experience during the early days of the Montgomery bus boycott. He and his family were constantly receiving harassing phone calls and even death threats. At one point, he came close to giving up in despair. It was on January 28, 1956, that Dr. King had an encounter with God that provided the foundation for the rest of his life as he continued to lead a movement for justice and equality for all God’s children despite constant threats and attacks that eventually took his life but not his witness. As we continue the struggle for racial justice at this crucial time in our nation’s history, I pray that we will follow Dr. King’s example and commit ourselves to be open to and deepen in God’s presence, power, and love.
