Theological Journal – January 15 God Comes to MLK
“Let us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King.” So sang James Taylor a few years ago. On this celebration of his birthday we’ll do just that! In particular we’ll look at an encounter with God MLK Had at a crucial moment in his nascent leadership of the Civil Rights Movement.
A midnight cup of coffee
accompanied a distraught and sleepless King. He describes his encounter with
God in his book Stride toward Freedom:
“I was ready to give up. With my cup of coffee sitting
untouched before me I tried to think of a way to move out of the picture
without appearing a coward. In this state of exhaustion, when my courage had
all but gone, I decided to take my problem to God. With my head in my hands, I
bowed over the kitchen table and prayed aloud. The words I spoke to God that
midnight are still vivid in my memory. ‘I am here taking a stand for what I
believe is right. But now I am afraid. The people are looking to me for
leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too
will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to
the point where I can’t face it alone.’ At that moment I experienced the
presence of the Divine as I had never experienced Him before. It seemed as
though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying: ‘Stand up for
righteousness, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever.’
Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to
face anything.” (124-125)
This momentous encounter changed the course of MLK’s life and American history in the 20th century. We are in his debt for this account of it.
Tomorrow we’ll look at this event from a different perspective as an entré to an encounter with God in an age thoroughly inoculated against transcendence (“the immanent frame” according to Charles Taylor).
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