Almost every day I pass one particular statue. It's a series of sweeping black, iron arcs that push up into the sky. Stylized black birds race up the arcs representing the pigeons that took flight, startled by the gunshot that killed Martin Luther King, Jr. Today is the anniversary of the day he was killed for representing the gospel.
King was educated at, among other places, at Boston University. I work with students there today. The crowds pass between classes as they did in King's day. They are talented, learning, and eager, but what will set them apart? In King's case, it was because he was willing to answer the call of God to do something he didn't feel particularly suited for. That made all the difference.
There is one theme that is repeated throughout every story in Scripture. God is always the hero. I often hear David and Abraham and others held up as role models. While I want to learn from their stories, I don't want to be like them. David may have been a man after God's heart, but his life is filled with mistakes that cost him, his family, and those around him dearly. It wasn't David who was the hero. It was the God of love, mercy, and justice who is able to transform and redeem a life who was the hero. The God who can work through fallen humanity to bring beauty and grace.
King wasn't perfect. None of us are. We can't use our imperfections or those of others as an excuse for our inaction. It seems like grumbling, complaining, and mocking have become a national pastime. The mockery of the likes of Bill Maher and Rush Limbaugh squeeze out the hope of the gospel, turning people bitter, angry, and dismissive of God's higher call.
None of us are perfect, but that has been the case since the fall. We aren't perfect, but the One who calls us to follow him, to become his hands, feet, and voice in the world is. The One who is the hero of every Bible story challenges us to reach out and let him again be the hero through us.
All of us are called to make a difference. The gospel is about loving others in the power of Christ.
As I travel the country, I see God at work as someone volunteers to assist a family with an autistic child, as people help feed the homeless, as businessmen are thoughtful about the growth of their community, as teachers spend extra time with students in need, as churches make sure that high school language classes don't close because they lack funds, as people care for the developmentally disabled... I think you get the picture.
We talk a lot today about the dangers of entitlement. As believers, we need to make sure we don't believe we are entitled to a blessed life. A blessed life is the result of following God's call to establish his kingdom through sacrificial love.
We won't all make the headlines for our obedience. There is plenty of evidence that King would have loved to have lived a lower profile life. The publicity cost him his life. Most of God's work goes unnoticed by the crowd, but we should never underestimate the difference it makes.
So let's celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death by putting an end to grumbling and complaining and by allowing God to prove himself the hero through us.
No comments:
Post a Comment