A Modern Day Prophet

I love Martin Luther King Day, because I love Martin Luther King. I think it's important that we set aside a day to remember him, because he reminds us of the best and worst of humanity. The best: his passion for justice and equality and all that he inspired. The worst: the fact that his vision also inspired someone to kill him. He reminds us of how powerful love can be and at the same time how fragile that love is.

Many people have said that King was one of our "modern day prophets". This doesn't mean that he predicted the future, though he definitely had a vision of better days to come. Instead, it means that he spoke truth to power, that he called our society to task for its injustice and unrighteousness. King had a vision of how the world should be and he shared that vision with others and lived his life to bring it about.

For Christians, it's important for us to remember that Martin Luther King was a preacher and a theologian. Our society remembers him as a civil rights leader, but we need to remember that everything he did was a result of his deep faith. He reminds us of what it means to be a Christian.

One of my favorite pieces of writing from King is his Letter from a Birmingham Jail. If you haven't read this letter, you should. Right now.

In this letter, King calls on southern white pastors to join his struggle for civil rights, telling them that their commitment to the gospel demands that they act for justice. According to King, our faith is not just about "otherworldly" concerns, but is very much about this world and the evil that plagues our world. King was disappointed that some of his Christian brothers and sisters couldn't see this. His letter is a powerful indictment against an apathetic church.

Is the church today any better? How many evils persist in the world while we do nothing? How often do we think only of ourselves and not of others? What does our faith compel us to do?

We need Martin Luther King Day, not just for a day off from school or work, but to remind us of who we are and who God is calling us to be.