In 1968, a pop singer and recovering heroin addict named Dion Dimucci released a haunting song eulogizing Abraham Lincoln, John and Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King. This simple song stirs a mournful longing and lament for these fallen leaders. "Abraham, Martin, and John" has been resonating through my soul as we celebrate the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This astounding man, whose name is inextricably woven in the fabric of history with the cause of civil rights, was born at noon at the home of his parents on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta. He was an exceptional and intellectually gifted child who entered Morehouse College at the tender age of fifteen where he received a B.A. in sociology. He ultimately earned his Ph.D. in theology from Boston University in 1955 and was subsequently awarded twenty honorary doctorates from colleges and universities in the United States and several foreign countries. In 1964, at age thirty-five, he became the youngest man, the second American, and the third black man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was one of those rare people whose grand intellect was equaled by his passionate spirituality. He was ordained into the ministry at age nineteen and this dimension of his life is where he found his true identity. His faith in Jesus and his ministerial calling eclipsed all his education, notoriety and accolades. Faith gave him the strength to accomplish the unthinkable in the face of extreme and unrelenting adversity. He said, "I still believe that standing up for the truth of God is the greatest thing in the world. This is the end of life. The end of life is not to be happy. The end of life is not to achieve pleasure and avoid pain. The end of life is to do the will of God, come what may." I have been reading Reverend King's speeches and sermons lately. What would he say to America today if he were here? He posed a similar question in 1956 when he penned an imaginary letter from the Apostle Paul to America. Dr. King speaking as Paul said, "You have made tremendous strides in the area of scientific and technological development. But America, as I look from afar, I wonder whether your moral and spiritual progress has been commensurate with your scientific progress." His observational query still rings true today. Our new Congress should consider his words when he said, "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. There is nothing, except a tragic death wish, to prevent us from reordering our priorities, so that the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit of war." In the imagined epistle of Paul he wrote, "Oh America, how often have you taken necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes. You can work within the framework of democracy to bring about a better distribution of wealth. You can use your powerful economic resources to wipe poverty from the face of the earth." Neither this aching need nor this challenging truth has changed. I can only dream where we as a nation might be if he had not been cut down in Memphis. He certainly would have continued his virile advocacy for justice and the Kingdom of Heaven. One person receiving divine visions and dreams through a holy conscience can impart essential inspiration to nations. Inspired nations can be powerful forces for good instead of evil. A holiday smattered with memorial speeches and essays will honor his life with deserved lip service yet not much life service is evident in the concerns of "we the people". We have become a nation debilitated by failed attempted conquests and paralyzed with self-concern and apathy. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed, preached and pleaded for freedom for all humanity. A struggling addict found freedom in 1968 and began to sing a new song. I am haunted by the thoughts of what might have been as the voice of Dion echoes in my mind... "Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin? Source URL |
