On April 4, 1968, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated while standing on the balcony outside his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. His speeches still captivate us with rare rhetorical and theological brilliance, particularly the address given at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, held August 28, 1963, in Washington, D.C. The speech, officially called “Normalcy, Never Again,” is widely remembered as “I Have a Dream.”
King’s published writing may not be as widely celebrated in popular culture as his speeches and sermons, yet they have also endured. King’s written body of work continues to provide fertile soil for congregations that strive to be thoughtful about how faith responds to the social, political and spiritual questions of the day. Notably, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” dated April 16, 1963, still raises poignant questions for the contemporary church in America.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” was intended to be a response to a public statement by eight white ministers who took issue with King’s nonviolent tactics, calling the protests in Birmingham “unwise and untimely.” When we read King’s words almost 61 years later, the call to action is no less demanding. King argues that people of faith must see the “interrelatedness of all communities and states.” If we do the work of justice in isolation, we delude ourselves into thinking that what happens in one place has no consequences for people in another place.
A central argument in the letter is that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. We have a moral obligation to obey just laws and a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. Borrowing from St. Thomas Aquinas, King writes: “An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law … Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” Congregational leaders would be wise to revisit King’s letter. Our dear brother died 57 years ago, but his words still speak.
Resources
MLK Day and the inauguration: Looking forward, looking back
The convergence and contradictions of the Martin Luther King holiday and the second inauguration of Donald Trump reflect a decidedly American pattern, writes the co-executive director of MLK50.
By Adrienne Johnson Martin
What we can learn from the contemplative heart of the Civil Rights Movement
Howard Thurman and other civil rights leaders modeled how contemplation fuels action and action fuels contemplation.
By Michelle T. Sanchez
It is our victory
The pastor of a historic Black church in Washington, D.C., reflects on a recent court ruling that gives it control of the name and logo of a far-right hate group.
By William H. Lamar IV
Finding examples in the fight for justice
Finding an Asian American in the International Civil Rights Museum reminds us that we all have a part to play in tearing down injustice, says a worship leader.
By Angie Kay Hong
Don’t look for another Martin Luther King — look within
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was never a solitary, mythical figure during the civil rights movement, and people involved in the struggle today should not look for such a leader. Instead, we should look for the leader within and the leaders all around us, who emerge from the ground up, says the dean of the faculty at Christian Theological Seminary.
Interview with Leah Gunning Francis
Martin Luther King Jr. and the Black social gospel
Though often overlooked by historians, the Black social gospel — a Black church variant of the social gospel — played a major role in the theology and ministry of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, says the seminary professor and author.
Interview with Gary Dorrien
Before you go
Sometimes the resources we need already are available to us. We don’t need to create something new. We only need to use what we have. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is an example of this truth. The letter directly addresses those who think it is unwise or inappropriate to advocate for justice. It also offers words of wisdom to those who seek justice.
For example, one of the steps in preparing for nonviolent direct action, the method of protest used by King, is self-purification. Seeking justice cannot be an act of unbridled rage. The work requires participants to prepare themselves mentally and spiritually for opposition so that they do not respond to the opposition in kind. I’ve seen many different approaches to justice work. Yet I have not seen any others that incorporate self-purification into the training. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. still speaks. If we are going to do the work of justice, let’s not neglect the internal preparation required to do justice work justly.
You can always reach me and the Alban Weekly team at alban@duke.edu. Until next week, keep leading!
Prince R. Rivers
Editor, Alban at Duke Divinity