From the Christian Tradition

Martin Luther King 1929-1968

Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister who emerged as the de-facto leader of the civil rights movement.  He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 because of his tremendous efforts to promote non-violent social change and reconciliation.  He was assassinated in 1968 while leading demonstrations on behalf of the underpaid sanitation workers.  His legacy is a belief in the power of Christian love to transform people and society. The following words were written after he was threatened that his house would be bombed.

At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never before experienced Him.  It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of a quiet voice, saying, “Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth.  God will be at your side for ever.”  Almost at once my fears began to pass from me.  My uncertainty disappeared.  I was ready to face anything.  The outer situation remained the same, but God had given me inner calm…… When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds  and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a great benign Power in the universe whose name is God, and he is able to make a way out of no way, and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows.  This is our hope for becoming better people.  This is our mandate for seeking to make a better world.

Jean Myers