The third week of January will be a momentous period in the history of our nation: Friday, Jan. 20th, the swearing-in of Donald J. Trump will mark the end of the presidency of Barack Obama, the first African-American ever to serve in that office. This Monday, the country will celebrate the birthday of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the African-American preacher and civil rights leader whose life and accomplishments, perhaps more than any other factor, made possible the election of President Obama.
Hailed by many for his own eloquent speeches, President Obama, I believe, would be among the first to acknowledge that it was the mesmerizing and memorable oratory of Rev. King, along with his calming demeanor and righteous call for justice — especially in areas of race, that made his own candidacy for the highest office in the land acceptable across racial and political lines.
While I can’t say that I knew Rev. King well, I had occasion to interview him half a dozen times, was present during nonviolent protest marches he led in Selma, Alabama, and St. Augustine, Florida, and saw him in action at a Miami meeting of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference he headed. So I believe I have a pretty good sense of the spirit of the man who, even then, was one of the few persons of color recognized by virtually all Americans as a national leader.
Often lost in that admiration of the youngest recipient ever — at age 35 — of the Nobel Prize for Peace is that his drive for equality of the races and concern for the poor grew out of his determination to live out a Biblical faith he preached as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.
The son and grandson of Baptist preachers, Dr. King came by his skills as an orator naturally. Those talents, as well as a sharp intellect, were honed at the legendary Morehouse College (founded by Baptist preachers), Crozier Theological Seminary (a predominantly white Baptist school where he was valedictorian and elected president of the senior class) and the Methodist-connected Boston University, where he earned his Ph.D. in systematic theology.
Despite all the fame and admiration, Dr. King never strayed far from the central theme of two of his most famous sermons, “What Is Man?” and “The Dimensions of a Complete Life.” They could be described as a summary of the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth whom Christians recognize as the Prince of Peace: love yourself properly, love your neighbor as yourself and love God with all your heart.
To be concerned for the souls of men and not their physical needs is as false a religion as to be concerned for the physical needs of men and not their souls, he would contend.
“So I say to you, seek God and discover Him and make Him a power in your life,” Dr. King preached. “Without Him, all of our efforts turn to ashes and our sunrises into darkest night. Without Him, life is a meaningless drama with the decisive scenes missing.
“But with Him, we are able to rise from the fatigue of despair to the buoyancy of hope. With Him, we are able to rise from the midnight of desperation to the daybreak of joy.”
It is a message President-elect Trump and all the rest of us — regardless of race or political party — might well take to heart. It is a noble message of peace that could lead to the solution of many problems at home and abroad.
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