Lessons in our time and space: Dr. Who visits 1950s Montgomery, Alabama
As we approach the MLK holiday, the witness and legacy of Civil Rights leaders cannot be kept in past tense and treated nostalgically in our public gatherings and celebrations common this time of year. We need persons who can speak to the nation like Dr. King, yet we need the many individuals like Rosa Parks who work for justice and fair treatment on the ground level of our local communities even more.
Martin Luther King Jr., Day: A good day to think about patriotism
Patriotism, as exemplified by Dr. King, thinks evaluatively about one's country in light of its best values, including the attempt to correct it when it's in error and fix it when it is broken. Yet especially on our national patriotic holidays, too often our churches promote nationalism—the uncritical support of one's nation regardless of its moral, truthful or political bearing.
MLK and the missional church
We can talk all we want to about saving souls from hell and preaching the pure and simple gospel, but unless we preach the social gospel our evangelistic gospel will be meaningless.
Love in action
Ultimately, a congregation cannot express God’s love without being involved and present. The very act of love compels us to connect with people and walk the journey together.
What would Martin do?
Amid a government shutdown, battles over border wall funding, political polarization, continuing involvement in armed conflicts, and posturing by elected officials, I have found myself posing a provocative question: “What would Martin do?”