MLK Day & the Goal of Peace

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he began to speak and taught them, saying:

 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

Jesus of Nazareth Matthew 5:1-12 NRSVue

 This is Martin Luther King Day in the United States, a national holiday honouring the Baptist pastor and courageous leader of the non-violent Civil Rights Movement. King was only 35 years old when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. According to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute at Stanford University 

On the morning of 14 October 1964, Martin Luther King, sleeping in an Atlanta hospital room after checking in for a rest, was awakened by a phone call from his wife, Coretta Scott King, telling him that he had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. Although many in the United States and abroad praised the selection, segregationist Eugene “Bull” Connor called it “scraping the bottom of the barrel” (“Cheers and Scorn”). Presenting the award to King in Oslo, Norway, that December, the chairman of the Nobel Committee praised him for being “the first person in the Western world to have shown us that a struggle can be waged without violence. He is the first to make the message of brotherly love a reality in the course of his struggle, and he has brought this message to all men, to all nations and races”. 

MLK was a flawed person in some respects -- aren't we all? He was hospitalized several times for exhaustion which was also carefully hidden depression. Yet his devotion to the principles of non-violence and justice reflected the message of the biblical prophets and the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. 

Not all American recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize stand the test of time -- both Henry Kissinger and Barack Obama come to mind. There is no doubt in my mind that Dr. King was a shining example of peace within his nation and the world. 

We are all aware of the absurdity of the current preening pres essentially demanding the Peace Prize even as he foments division within the US and creates chaos with allies and enemies alike. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if this MLK Day could overcome deepening cynicism and awaken a desire for peaceful coexistence that trascends racial, national and religious divisions? You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...