Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (ESV)
50 years ago today, we lost a great national pastor. Martin Luther King Jr. loved well. He changed our nation and our world. He stood up and spoke for those whose voices had been so long repressed. He walked peacefully in an effort to change the hearts of untold masses who hated him. I believe God received Dr. King home that day, knowing the influence of his death would magnify and perpetuate his message of love.
As a child of the 70s and 80s, I witnessed the aftermath of Dr. King’s great work. My parents would speak of the prejudice they were taught as children and their desire to cast off this cloak of ignorance. I remember first hearing U2’s song, Pride, in the mid-1980s. Bono sang,
Early morning, April fourth,
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky.
Free at last, they took your life;
They could not take your pride.
In the name of love,
What more in the name of love?
I was struck by an Irishman, aware of his own country’s violence and turmoil, so taken by the example of Martin Luther King Jr. Who was this American leader so revered around the world and so despised by people within my own land and extended family? I began to read and learn of Dr. King’s work, and his love moved into action. As a result, my own heart began to change.
That trigger, pulled by hate, propelled a bullet sending a precious saint to meet the one true God, the same God who inspired Dr. King and led him throughout his life, the same God who knows completely the redemptive work wrought by a sacrificial death. Dr. King reflects our God in that he took the hatred thrown so violently at him and transformed it into love.
Dr. King’s legacy of love has left an indelible imprint on my own life. I, like so many others, call him hero! We celebrate his life and influence, especially on this day.
Recommendations for further reading:
I Have A Dream: Writing and Speeches That Changed The World
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
