Today, most Americans will enjoy a day off from school and work—not because of the frigid temperatures and not because of the Inauguration, but because the nation will honor America’s greatest advocate of civil and human rights—the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, we will share his quotes on social media, lift up his “dream” and maybe even sing freedom songs. Today, we love Dr. King.
But let’s be clear. When King was alive, he was a thorn in America’s side and was condemned and vilified for his vision of America. In 1967, King was named “the most hated man in America” because of his condemnation of the evils of racism, materialism and militarism.
“The evils of capitalism are as real as the evils of militarism and racism. The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power.” – Dr. King to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) board. March 30, 1967.
Throughout his public ministry, King articulated a vision of the Beloved Community in which everyone,“regardless of their race, sex, religion, or creed, is equally valued and has the opportunity to thrive.” In 1968, he and his trusted advisor, Bayard Rustin, developed a “Freedom Budget” and a plan to eliminate poverty that became known as the Economic Bill of Rights, demanding full employment, a guaranteed annual income and affordable housing.
King’s vision was truly radical—akin to Jesus’s announcement good news for the poor and the upside-down kingdom of heaven. King’s vision was diverse and inclusive—like the radical diversity and inclusion of Jesus’s followers—women as well as men, eunuchs, Samaritans and Gentiles as well as Jews. And like Jesus’s message, King’s message was too radical for most people—even most Christians—and the response was an assassin’s bullet. We killed the prophet.
But now, we love Dr. King. We have erected monuments and statues, named highways and schools and bridges after him and set aside a holiday in his honor, but let’s be honest….we have failed to honor his vision. It was too radical for Americans in 1967. It is still too radical. We lift up the “dream”, but, as a nation, we continue to perpetrate the nightmare of racism, materialism and militarism. We declare that “all people are created equal”; that we are the “land of the free”; that we are “one nation under God;” but we cast our ballots for a leader who promises great privilege for a few and vilifies anyone who protests as “threats to America’s greatness.” Today exposes our hypocrisy.
Before Rev. King was killed on April 4, 1968, he had prepared his sermon for the following Sunday. It was entitled, “Why America May Go to Hell.” We are well on our way.
Link HERE to read the sermon King never preached.
Tongue on Fire 