The angry voice on the phone said, “Listen, nigger, we’ve taken all we want from you; before next week you’ll be sorry you ever came to montgomery.” This horrifying phone call is documented in one of the hand written notes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, from his famous “Our God is Able” sermon written in 1956 and recently posted on the cnn website. It reveals a moment in time when he was exhausted, increasingly fearful, and ready to give up leading the civil rights movement that was becoming exceedingly dangerous. His notes continue – “I hung up, but I couldn’t sleep. It seemed that all of my fears had come down on me at once. I had reached the saturation point. I got out of bed and began to walk the floor. Finally I went out to the kitchen and heated a pot of coffee. 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. For 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. The outersituation remained the same, but God had given me they inner calm to face it. Three nights later, on January 30, as you know, our home was bombed. Strangely enough, I accepted the word of the bombing calmly. My experience with God a few nights before had given me the strength to face it.”
Jesus said, “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” (Matthew 10:26-28) On April 4th 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee - USA. Although his life was cut short, the power of his resonant voice echoes in eternity as a true demonstration of a man who had the courage to put into practice the words and commandments of Jesus Christ. It is clear from his notes that, like anyone whose life is being threatened, he was afraid, but he had the courage in that moment to recognize he could not face it alone and he prayed to God for help. I wept when I read these hand written notes of Martin Luther’s – his personal struggle is an inspiring demonstration of complete surrender to God! It is as if he is still standing here speaking directly to my heart, to your heart, and to the heart of humanity ecouraging us with his eternal voice, “Stand up for righteousness, stand up for Truth; and God will be at your side forever!” Wow! What is it about the words and presence of Dr. King that has inspired so many both before as well as after his untimely death? And what can he teach you about applying the teaching of Jesus in your everyday life?
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