The meaning behind MLK Jr. Day
Greetings from Faith Lutheran Church in Eldorado.
President Trump, on the 18th of this month, announced the proclamation of the federal holiday of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This is a portion of his proclamation.
"In the face of tumult and upheaval, Dr. King reminded us to always meet anger with compassion in order to truly 'heal the hurts, right the wrongs and change society.' It is with this same spirit of forgiveness that we come together to bind the wounds of past injustice by lifting up one another regardless of race, gender, creed, or religion, and rising to the first principles enshrined in our founding documents." (www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-martin-luther-king-jr-federal-holiday-2021)
President Ronald Reagan was the first President to declare MLK Day a federal holiday. Even though much of the history and events that led up to this celebration involved black Americans and other people of color, the principles and ideas were universal.
If MLK Day is for blacks only then King's vision and dream and the civil rights which he and others stood for have missed their mark as did the founding documents of our nation.
Scripture and sound Christian principles are marked with care, love and respect for all peoples. The Gospel was not just preached to one race, but Scripture declares, "For God so loved the world." The children of Israel may have been the chosen people, but it was to build a cradle in Bethlehem for Jesus who died for the sins of all. No one person or group is worthy of God's grace and mercy for all are under the curse of the law and condemned. In the Gospel all are justified freely for Christ sake as St. Paul writes, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28
There was a time in the South when white Lutheran pastors had to be smuggled into Lutheran churches of color to preach the Gospel. If they were caught by the KKK they would at the least be beaten or even worse, murdered. Perhaps other denominations have similar situations as they attempted to minister to black families in the South.
Christians of all peoples should be on the front lines of working for racial equality. It starts by "loving your neighbor as yourself." Our neighbors are all those who need our love and assistance - from the unborn child in the womb and the refugee from a war-torn land, to those in the nursing homes and everyone in between.
The call for civil rights is to treat people in love, fairness, and with justice. The nature of the world is to make this about me, myself, and I.
As Christians it must be about our neighbors. As Christians we turn the other cheek, forfeit our rights so others may be blessed, bless when others curse us, and take up our cross daily so others may have life. Why? Because that is what Jesus did for us.
• David Otten is pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Eldorado.