Dr. King Speaks to Charleston From the Grave
Today is Juneteenth. The day that African Americans celebrate the news of the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, declaring that “All persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be, free.” Today is also my 40th birthday. Today Iam reading article after article about the shooting in Charleston and my insides are twisting.
I have so many thoughts and struggles with how to respond to the naked violence in our world right now. Should I start carrying a gun? What is the Christian response? What would I do? Not to be trite, but WOULD Jesus do? Take 7 ½ minutes to listen to MLK Jr. in this clip. While he speaks to the African American community of decades ago, his words are sharp and pointed for Christians, and Americans for that matter. This could inflame many, but I feel compelled to share it. In this clip, Dr. King was on to something. He was on to the way of Jesus. Just listen. Listen and think. When you are finished, ask yourself a few questions:
- Did Jesus mean what He said when He told me to love my enemies?
- Am I willing to live what He called me to?
- Am I willing to pay the cost of being like Jesus?
I don’t pretend to have answers in this article, just a lot of questions; a heap of consternation and angst; a sad soul. I don’t know what I would do in this situation. Even more, I don’t know what one SHOULD do in this situation.
All I know is this:
I desperately want to be like Jesus and what it means to be like Him often scares the life out of me.
Here is the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJlSZXxY144
