I’d like to encourage you to invest 30-45 minutes and read
for yourself, an annotated version of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter From A Birmingham Jail.” CLICK HERE to do that on the recent posting on TheGospelCoalition.org site by Justin Taylor that includes Dr King’s text with
brief annotations for historical context and the letter that Dr. King is himself
responding to. Reading it is well worth the time and a good habit to go “right
to the source” on important matters of cultural conversation.
A few years ago, after I referred to Dr. King in a sermon and
read a long quote from one of his sermons in my own, three African American
students in our congregation – two in high school and one in college - engaged
me after the service. They were
surprised that Dr. King was a pastor. “Wasn’t
he an ‘activist?’” they asked. Well, yes
and no. Dr. King was certainly an
activist. But he was first a Christian
pastor. He was recognized, trained and
ordained in his Baptist tradition. He
preached sermons several times a week.
He baptized, performed weddings, buried, counseled and led a community
of Christ-followers. He was a “jr.”
because his own father – a pastor himself – was so taken by that other Martin
Luther that he legally changed his own name from Michael to Martin Luther, and
passed it on to his son.
I was in third grade when Dr. King wrote the letter, but
recall reading it in high school, college and several times since, including once
again this week. It continues to guide, inspire
and amaze me. Some brief reflections –
but don’t let these replace you reading it for yourself.
It strikes me as a deeply Christian statement.
Discerning between “just” and “unjust” laws, and then how to
respond to injustice are all based on the Scriptures that show me the Gospel of
God’s grace. His love for those who have
opposed him and those who have disappointed him, is clear and reflects the love
shown to all by Jesus.
For example, here are two paragraphs from Dr. King's "Letter"
"One may ask: 'How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?' The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that 'an unjust law is no law at all.'""A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of Harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law." (These paragraphs were added to my original post on January 12, 2023)
I hear the rhythms and passion of the African-American
church.
I am thankful again to have been welcomed and loved across
the years of my own ministry by brothers and sisters from Holllygrove, New
Orleans to Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Alexandria, LA. I see the breadth, depth, height and width of
the Savior’s love more clearly because you have shown it to me. Thank you.
I am amazed at the breadth of historical, literary and theological
allusions.
You will hear more references to Socrates, St Augustine, the
Declaration of Independence, Reinhold Niebuhr and others in this one letter
than in an entire week on any 24-hour news channel. Don’t waste 168 hours counting, just read Dr
King’s letter a second time.
When was the last time we heard/spoke political discourse
like this?
The letter was written 57 years ago. My how things have changed.
I’m aware of Dr. King’s moral failings
But more than able to see and separate those from the gold
nuggets of his aspirations and vision.
Without minimizing his failings, I will also not lose his contributions
in other areas. Like him, I’m a sinner pointing
my people to a Risen Savior.
