Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Martin Luther King, Jr

The busyness of the weekend on top of my news programs (This Week, and Meet the Press) failing to tape contributed to my forgetting about yesterday as a national holiday, appropriately remembering the life and gift to us all, of Martin Luther King, Jr. I did wear black jeans and shirt yesterday to honor the day.

We "white" caucasian evangelicals can hardly appreciate the history of "blacks", African-Americans. These brothers and sisters were brought over here from Africa as slaves, and often treated worse than animals. And then their skin color, and beauty from God was despised by members of my own "race", though in actuality we're all members of the same human race.

Martin Luther King, Jr., came on the scene at a most difficult time, when apartheid was the rule in the south, and effectively the general unspoken rule in the north. The vision of our nation's founders written by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, that "all men are created equal", carried on in the words of Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address was not being realized in all too many places in this country. Martin Luther King, Jr. carried on this great tradition in his I Have a Dream speech. But he did so at much personal cost, knowing full well it could cost him his life. But he pressed on, as with a mandate from God. And I believe God was in his service to us.

I thank God for Martin Luther King, Jr. Much good has resulted from his work, but much more needs to be done. We need to be sensitive in listening to our African-American brothers and sisters, and appreciating the fact and sad reality that there is still plenty of racism, latent though it may be.

Someday in Jesus, all peoples and creation will be brought to complete unity, celebrating the richness of who we each are, as God's creation, in that new creation in Jesus. We want to see that in Jesus even now, and speak God's truth, even as my nation's founders did, and seek to see it realized in the measure in which it can be. To break down all the barriers and walls that sadly divide us. An ongoing work indeed. And one that should be most manifest and evident among God's people in Jesus.

What would you add to this, or like to say?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

there is much more to be done in us all.

i hope that you and your many families are doing well.
God bless you.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Nancy,
Yes. And I hope the same for you and yours, also. Thanks.

Ted M. Gossard said...

One thing I'd add. Much wisdom in that little sentence, Nancy. We all have to look at ourselves in this, because all of us have shortcomings in this. To pre judge anything is to fail to try to understand the other's perspective and also a failure to see the beam in our own eye.

Ted M. Gossard said...

I should say a failure to try to understand the other's perspective.

Ted M. Gossard said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
preacherman said...

Ted,
Great thoughts and tribute to a wonderful leader and preacher of the faith. I pray that we will be one that we will lead and make a difference in the world the way he did. I hope and think his dream will become a reality we start really living authentic Christianity in every aspect of our lives.

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

Amen!

Ted M. Gossard said...

Kinney,
Thanks, brother. So true that this is a part of our living the true life together, in Jesus.

Anonymous said...

Sin has messed things up. What a day when all nations and races can explore the wonder of GOD together...in His presence

Ted M. Gossard said...

Yes, Mike. With all our unique, created God-given identities. Into the one, whole, new, completed humanity in Jesus. In and before God forever. Amen.