Martin Luther King Jr. and Optimism

For the past week, I have had the privilege of reading through many of the speeches and writings of the great Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  I have been reading a compilation of his work that was edited by the late historian James Washington. "I Have a Dream" , James Washington editor.

As I read his speeches and writings, I became aware of a battle that was raging in my mind.  It was a small tension at first, but the more I read, the louder the dissenting voice in my mind became.  Soon, I was journaling and praying because I found that His writings revealed a huge "ego-dystonic" gap in my attitudes and his.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had an amazing faith in two ideals that I approach with increasing cynicism.

He first had faith in America.  He loved the American creed (We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal") and was confident that America can and would live up to the ideals in which it was created.  His works, particularly the poignant and powerful, "Letter from the Birmingham Jail", gives an unfailing optimism in the spirit and purpose of the American creed.

Secondly, Dr. King had the significant faith in the moral consciousness of all people.  He would argue with African students that non-violence works against all regimes, no matter how cruel, because all people have a moral consciousness that can be challenged.  In his 1959 article in Ebony magazine, he states "non-violent resistance, when planned and positive in action, can work effectively, even under totalitarian regimes". 

Although I love America, I do not have faith in it.  I although I thank God for the privileges found in America, I mourn the exploitation and the devastations of entire peoples in order to make that possible.  I spoke to a leader in the impoversihed nation of Malawi in 2004.  I asked him why there were not more American products around.  He replied "There nothing here to exploit".  He went on to explain his thoughts which were echoed in Kenya that America is the land of opportunitist.  The American creed was declared at a time inwhich the rights spoken of, were reserved for Whites only.  It was never meant as Dr.  King defines it.  I love his confidence, but unfortunately do not share it.

Dr. King is heavily influenced by the social gospel movement of the late 19th and early 20th century.  This movement believed that the people of God will usher in the Kingdom of God through our own direct actions.  He believed that people will rise to the nature of their calling.  In his 1964 Nobel Prize acceptance speech he states "I Refuse to believe the "isness" of humanity can not reach up to the "oughtness" that forever confronts him".  I believe that humanity has incredible capacity for good and evil.  I believe that without God, we will never reach our "oughtness" and that Jesus Christ came to lead us back to our "oughtness". 

Now, obviously Dr. King lead a movement that changed the world, and I, on the other hand, have not.  Therefore, I am challenged on my cynicism and my theology.  Have I focused on humanity and America's capacity for evil, to the neglect of the possibility for it to be a tremendous force for good. 

My thought is that I choose to be hopeful, even if I am not optimistic.  Optimism is a favorable outlook based upon the past or present conditions.  Hope on the other hand, is God-centered and focuses on the work of God to bring about the things that matter to him, such as justice, love, and peace, acknowledging that the vehicle of his kingdom is flawed peoples, nations, and communities.

How would you describe your approach to social change?  Are you hopeful, cynical, pessimistic, or joyful.

It is my desire that the hope of God would inspire and empower you this day!

Pastor M Traylor