Honoring MLK

In 1989, there were 13 non-violent revolutions in 13 different countries. All but one was successful. In the 1950’s and 60’s, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led such a revolution. His words and actions challenged the social systems of his day. He was jailed, beaten, and killed in response to a revolution of values against the “giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism.” His words continue to challenge us today.

Many of us recognize partially the contribution King has played in our nation’s history and in the social movement that began to combat the evil of racism. He became one of the earliest Freedom Riders in Birmingham, organized non-violent protests aimed at overcoming the dominant powers, and worked endlessly throughout the courts and from the pulpit to express the way of Jesus as the “more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest.”
He was at the forefront of the desegregation laws in Birmingham, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1968, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (which came as a result of the Selma to Montgomery March). He did this constantly under a barrage of threats on his life and criticisms from the white churches that he characterized as the “archdefender of the status quo.” He longed for the days that had been characterized by the early church: “a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.” Yet, he loved the church, for there is no disappointment without great love. King recognized the Church as “a colony of Heaven, called to obey God rather than man.”

One can hardly fully appreciate the role MLK played in the moral growth of our nation. But I also believe we have consigned him to a domesticated historical icon rather than a true revolutionary figure. Our political leaders call on his name but only as political talking points. They forget that as much as King combated the evils of racism he saw the economic and political system driving blacks into a state of poverty. Now, we recognize that it is not limited to blacks but to also Latinos, Asians, and Arabs. King recognized the increasing immoral disparity between the rich and poor and commented: “we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a ‘thing-oriented’ society to a ‘person-oriented’ society.” When profit, property, and machines become more important than people, “the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”

In this month alone, the United States government will have spent 9 billion dollars on the war in Iraq. In the time of Martin Luther King, another controversial war was being played. In response to the war in Vietnam, King prophesied, “A nation that continues, year after year, to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." There is an estimated 42% of every dollar being spent on the war or its effects. Comparatively, this is enough money to cover universal health care, universal education, and affordable housing.

On April 4 we will once again remember the legacy of Martin Luther King, a man who died too early. May we do more than just remember. May we honor him by using the same methods of non-violent resistance in the face of the dominant powers. May we recognize, as King recognized, that Christianity “is a calling that takes [us] beyond national allegiances” and that “we still have a choice today; non-violent coexistence or violent co-annihilation.”

Colorado

This past weekend I was able to fly to Colorado with a good friend of mine, Jon Christensen. We spent two days skiing at Winter Park and then a day at Vail. Skiing is quite possibly my favorite thing to do. It is best when it is paired with reading and a loving wife, but still fantastic on its own. I am an average skier. I do the blacks and double blacks. I can do some 180's and some minor 5-10 foot drop offs, but I am still working on my technique. I have some issues with keeping my weight centered. I thought I would mention my flaws before I went into how amazing Vail was.

I have never seen anything like it. The night before skiing Vail, it snowed, and snowed, and then snowed some more. The day we were on the mountain it continued to snow. Visibility was limited, but it didn't matter. We had first tracks down one of the Back Bowls at Vail. It was knee deep powder. I will never forget that first run. We dipped into the untouched clouds of paradise. It was smooth, deep, and pure. Across the mountain, you could here screams of delight: men and women finding the joy of the heavens. By the end of the run, we couldn't even finish our sentences. "Oh My....Did you see...I cannot believe...That was amazing!"

Really, the best way to describe that first run was with a smile. And each of us had one.