Shawn Casselberry's Blog
Why White People Should Honor Dr. King / Jan 20, 03:17 PM
I am especially excited to celebrate Martin Luther King Day this year and honor his legacy. I’m sad to say, I haven’t always been. I haven’t always understood what he has done for me. I mean, I understood that what he did was significant for African Americans, but I didn’t feel like I had a reason or even a right to celebrate it. After all, it is “their” holiday.
Three years ago, during the Martin Luther King holiday, I was struck with a revelation of what King’s life means for me as a white person. It hit me as hard as anything I have ever experienced. It felt like grace, you know, the cleansing, demanding grace that makes you aware you can never live the same again. As a Christian I experienced that kind of grace before in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, but I didn’t expect to experience it again in light of King’s sacrifice for civil rights. I guess I felt like a Gentile sinner who realized that the Jewish Savior had died for him too.
I believe white people should honor Dr. King because he included us in his dream. He envisioned a society, a beloved community, where white people and black people could hold hands together in peace and brother/sisterhood. His dream was not for “blacks only.” He did not seek to replace white supremacy with black supremacy. He cast the vision for an inclusive society grounded in equality and dignity for all, where no one, whether black or white, would be excluded from the God-given right of freedom.
We also owe Dr. King a great debt for raising the social consciousness of our nation. He revealed to us the immorality of racism, militarism, and materialism and showed us that our morality cannot be confined to personal private action, but must translate into social action on behalf of the poor and oppressed.
Dr. King showed us that nonviolence is a viable alternative to violence and works on both the personal and political level to resolve conflicts and promote peace. He provides future generations with a blueprint for prophetic witness and social change.
White people should honor Dr. King because he gave us the gift of humility. He helped white people see themselves as God sees them, neither superior or inferior to anyone. This humility to see ourselves as equal with others is not always welcomed as a gift. The Pharisees did not appreciate Jesus telling them they were no better than the tax collector or prostitute. But it is a liberating gift to those that receive it. Martin Luther King fought the distortions racism causes for both blacks and whites. By attacking white supremacy and racism, King was fighting as much for the liberation of white people as he was fighting for the liberation of African Americans. I believe this is what he meant when he said “their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.”
Lastly, Dr. King should be celebrated because he was a great man. The example of his courageous life is inspirational to anyone who seeks to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God. King was a man deeply devoted to doing God’s will and making the world more like God’s kingdom.
This is why we owe so much to Martin Luther King and the movement he inspired. This is why we all something to celebrate this Martin Luther King Day.
1 Comments
Leave a Comment...
Read more of Shawn Casselberry's Blogs.
The reality that people like Jesus, Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. lived in was truth. The truth is that no one deserves God’s love and justice more than any other man. Equality is the truth in which God’s kingdom operates. Injustice, racism, and inequality are lies that were borne when Adam and Eve ate from the wrong tree. Dr. King’s message liberates anyone who believes. The truth sets us free.
Rock awn Shawn.
By Joe Grove / Jan 23, 11:35 AM / #