Listening to the life and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

There's much to consider today. Our annual remembrance of the life and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. elicits a variety of responses. For some it's a sober holiday, reflecting on the suffering and resilience and dignity and strength of all who identity with the African diaspora, but especially Black Americans. For others it's a defeating reminder of how much further we have to go to achieve heaven's vision for racial harmony. For others still, it's a day off. 

As follower of Jesus we are called to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). That means understanding the difference between the powers, values, and sins of the kingdoms of this world and the beauty and truth of the Jesus' kingdom. Therefore today is a day to listen to the men and women who see and articulate this distinction best. 

I was deeply encouraged by writer and professor Esau McCauley's article today. It's called "The Kind of Revolution That Martin Luther King Jr. Envisioned." Through it he helped me to understand King's demand for reparations. Also, in a sermon entitled The Most Segregated Hour in America: Overcoming Divisions to Pursue MLK’s Vision of Racial Harmony, which I listened to five years ago, Dr. Charlie Dates biblically clarified Rev. King's criticism of the division of the American Church. And public theologian Ekemini Uwan reflected on Dr. King's vision for equality as the root for modern and future expression of liberation. 

They who have ears to hear, let them hear ...