This past monday was Martin Luther King Jr. day - a day that we stop to remember a man who had a compelling vision a passion to see GOD's kingdom manifested here and now in the form of the abolition of bigotry, greed, and selfishness.
In truth, I didn't really know much about King at all until I took a class last quarter called, "African American Studies 165 - The Black Christian Church." It was over the course of that class that I developed a deep appreciation and fondness for the rich tradition of Christianity amongst the slaves, and how the abiding presence of Jesus brought them an indomitable hope and the strength to endure to most horrible of persecutions. It was not until the end of the class that we turned to study the Civil Rights Movement, which was in many respects the pinnacle of the African-Americans' struggle to be free of oppression and hatred.
In studying King, I came to see his passion for the justice of the Kingdom of God to be manifested here and now, and the beauty and power of his sermons and writings have spurred me on to say "Thy Kingdom Come" with renewed passion and zeal. My buddy
Trevor re-delievered a few of his most powerful sermons (subscribe to his podcast
here), and I wrote my final paper on King and his role as a "prophetic theologian." If that sounds intruiging, you can read my 12 page paper
here. See you soon.
This past monday was Martin Luther King Jr. day - a day that we stop to remember a man who had a compelling vision a passion to see GOD's kingdom manifested here and now in the form of the abolition of bigotry, greed, and selfishness.
Back when I was a little kid, my mom would read to me from the "Berenstain Bears" book series. They're all beautifully illustrated, but the one that I remember most fondly is the one pictured above: "The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room." I remember being awestruck by the depictions of a neat, clean room with cool little receptacles for everything, mainly because my room was such a far cry from my sadly disheveled living space.
Mom, if you're reading this, I want you to know that your labor of attempting to mold me into a responsible, cleanly individual has finally borne fruit. This project came out of the few days before classes began; part of my attempt to reverse the entropy of the past quarter and look to a new beginning, a fresh start. And so it begins - my prayer is that GOD will do in me what I've done to my room - to strip away all the junk and organize my priorities so that his honor and glory come before all else. Maybe mom was right: cleanliness is next to godliness. See you soon.