Thursday, January 18, 2007

MLK.

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.

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