Matthew 7:12
“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Today, we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a well-known and respected civil rights activist, pastor, and humanitarian who led the fight for justice and fair treatment of all people – but especially African-Americans – in the 1960s. In many cities across the country, there will be parades, speeches, rallies, and other gatherings to remember Dr. King and his efforts…where we’ve been…and how far we still have to go.
This morning, I watched an interview with Eric Braeden - a soap opera star from CBS’s The Young and the Restless, of all things – who was the keynote speaker at a Martin Luther King, Jr. celebratory breakfast in Little Rock, Arkansas. Braeden, who is white, explained that he emigrated to the United States from Germany in 1959, with empty pockets and a heart filled with hope. He remembers firsthand the famous “I Have a Dream” speech delivered by Dr. King at the Lincoln Memorial. He recalls all of the challenges and struggles that were meted toward him as a post-WWII German trying to “make it” in America. And he noted that his discriminations and difficulties paled in comparison to those of African-Americans.
When asked how he would address the group on this day, Braeden said that he would…“reflect on the process of blacks, whites, Christians, Jews, Protestants, Catholics, and Muslims all getting along with each other. We are all one, you know…all children of God. And as such, we should behave kindly toward each other.”
The interviewer asked Braeden why he accepted the invitation to make this speech, and he explained that it appealed to him as someone who had seen discrimination firsthand – and also growth and improvement in the area of human relations. But he pointed out that there is still much work to be done. And indeed, this is the case. God is calling us to “grab the initiative”…to be the first in line to “behave kindly toward each other”…to obey God’s law and treat ALL others as we wish to be treated.
Dr. King was shot and killed on March 29, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. While speaking at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 4th of that year, he was asked how he would like to be remembered. In part, King answered…” I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody.”
A component of many celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will be some form of service activity to honor his legacy – and God’s call on our lives as Christians. I cannot think of a better day for all of us to begin to serve others and “love somebody” in Jesus’ name…can you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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