Learning from the Radical Dr. King

MLK Day is an important day to me. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of my heroes, a true model of redemptive imagination in American history. He left us with invaluable examples for how to live in a dehumanizing society. Consider what we learn from the radical Dr. King who contended for justice, not just the “quotable King” on social media:

• He demonstrated the strength of the philosophy of nonviolence and refused to endorse the War in Vietnam.

• He called us to care for the wounded stranger, and then to transform the Jericho Road itself so that no more are beaten.

• He modeled a political imagination that saw through the spirit of the age and believed there is enough for everyone.

• He taught about the “Great World House,” which transforms our perception of humanity into an inescapable network of mutuality.

• He challenged America to live up to its promises and Christianity to live up to Jesus’ commands.

• He resisted the “three great evils of society:” racism, militarism, and economic exploitation.

• He insisted that the end is preexistent in the means, so that one must utilize just means to accomplish just ends.

• He committed to enemy love, restorative justice, and dignity for all humanity.

Amazingly, Dr. King’s public leadership of the Civil Rights Movement was only 12.5 years long. Kindergarteners during the Montgomery Bus Boycott had not graduated high school when he was assassinated. In that short amount of time, Dr. King fundamentally affected America. He did not cure racism or solve injustice, but his advocacy for justice and peace was undeniable.

I wish we could hear a 97-year-old Dr. King preach a sermon during these days of rising authoritarianism. What would he say about spending billions to expand ICE, reducing healthcare access, or the frequency of mass shootings? I wish we could hear Dr. King, but instead there is just us.

How are we cultivating the Beloved Community? How will we speak, organize, and live for justice? How will we resist the injustices of our day? How will we show up for the poor and disenfranchised? Are we willing to embody the Sermon on the Mount in public life? What will Christians be known by in 2026? Will our churches be safe havens that fuel the work of liberation? Are we willing to show up for today’s “Memphis Sanitation Workers,” no matter the cost?