In his famous sermon entitled, "Silence is Betrayal," at The Riverside Church in New York City, one year before his assassination, Dr. King spoke out against the inherent danger of trying to end conflict with war, the racism of that war, the spending of our national budget for war instead of against poverty and the high price being paid by the soldiers who were mostly Black and Hispanic or poor.
WITNESS FOR JUSTICE
What would Dr. King think of the world today had he lived? What would he have to say? What causes would he be speaking out for or against?
Many ask that question every year as we approach his January 15 birthday. The truth is we will never know because no human being stands still in time, but we all grow and mature just by living. For example, by reading Dr. King’s sermons and writings in the last five years of his life, we know that he prioritized economic justice issues and working for peace in a world of war. These became his priorities, just as racial justice had been his prime motivator in the early days of his ministry.
What would Dr. King have to say about the terrible toll of the tsunami throughout the nations of the Indian Ocean? I think he would have spoken a word of consolation to the people of those nations and an assurance of the love of God, especially for those who had lost not only family, but all possessions. But I also think he would have challenged those of us who live so comfortably in America to understand that our sharing with the world cannot come only during times of crisis and catastrophe. I think he would have used this opportunity to help Americans understand that our federal government’s foreign aid (excluding military spending) and our private charitable gifts combined equal only 21 cents per day, per person – far less than our European counterparts.
Many Americans falsely believe that our federal government foreign aid is 25% of our national budget. Instead, it is less than one quarter of one percent. I think Dr. King would say we, the richest nation in the world, can do better. What would Dr. King say about the on-going war in Iraq? I have said many times that I believe Dr. King would have spoken out forcefully against going into that war and would have continued to voice his opposition to the war, just as he did in the Viet Nam War. In his famous sermon entitled, “Silence is Betrayal,” at The Riverside Church in New York City, one year before his assassination, Dr. King spoke out against the inherent danger of trying to end conflict with war, the racism of that war, the spending of our national budget for war instead of against poverty and the high price being paid by the soldiers who were mostly Black and Hispanic or poor.
Recently there have been some African American clergy who have tried to expropriate Dr. King in their fight against same sex marriage, some even beginning a march at his graveside. I don’t profess to know what Dr. King’s position on same sex marriage would have been, but I do believe that Dr. King would have supported the full humanity and the inclusion of all children of God in our society. Just as he supported Bayard Rustin, the labor unionist and gay man who was the genius behind the March on Washington and many of the strategies of the civil rights movement, I believe Dr. King would have reached out to the glbt community.
Whatever Dr. King might have said about the issues of today, I know that he would have urged each and every American to work for justice and peace in our nation and the world. This year, as we celebrate Dr. King’s birthday, let’s all find a concrete way to work for such a world. Write a letter to your Congresspersons and Senators about the genocide in Darfur, work in Habitat for Humanity building projects, make sure your church is using fair trade coffee, tutor a child in need or teach an adult to read. If we want a world of peace with justice, then we must work for it. I know Dr. King would approve of that.