In Memory of a Prophet for Our Times
AM Psalm 40, 54 • PM Psalm 51
Gen. 17:15-27 • Heb. 10:11-25 • John 6:1-15
On January 15, 2022, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have turned 93. He died on April 4, 1968 at the age of 39. I’m not sure why, but the asymmetry of these numbers sticks with me. There’s something backward in the world about their reality. Sure, many people don’t live to be 93, but I wonder what Dr. King may have done had he been able to live so the numbers 3 and 9 reversed.
Our world certainly needs more Dr. Kings. Recently, on the podcast For People with Bishop Rob Wright, a guest preacher and scholar named Dr. Richard Lischer reflected on Dr. King’s life and ministry as a preacher. For some reason it seems that popular thought has almost erased preaching from Dr. King’s identity. He’s most often referred to as a civil rights leader. What that designation fails to recognize is the very thing that motivated Martin Luther King Jr. to take up the cause of civil rights in America. Dr. Lischer said it best when he shared an anecdote from King’s life. A reporter asked King why he opposed the Vietnam War. He replied something to the affect of, “It’s because I’m a preacher of the gospel.” Kind of like saying, “Have you heard of the gospel of peace?”
Many have wondered how to keep going in such exhausting times. We’re all so tired. Whether we’re talking about a pandemic of disease or hatred, we can learn from today’s readings and from Dr. King. He was often very tired. But he said he kept going because he believed the promise. The promise he’s talking about is stated many times in many ways throughout scripture:
You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
Psalm 40:11
I pray you and I will keep these words close, even when it’s very hard.
Written by Jonathan Wright
Jonathan is a native of Atlanta, GA and came St. Paul’s from the Cathedral Church of Saint Mark in Salt Lake City, UT. He enjoys a good laugh, spending time with his dog Polly, and reading people’s reflections on the scriptures every morning.