In the name of the one holy and undivided Trinity. Text: Exodus 3:7-12
Then the Lord said,” I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of the land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” God (He) said I will be with you; and this shall be a sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” (NRSV)
This text from Exodus is the designated scripture in Lesser Feast and Fast for Martin Luther King, Jr. whose birthday was on January 15. We hear doubts from a man commissioned by God to be the deliverer of his people from the bondage of slavery by their oppressors in Egypt. Moses asked God who was he to go to Pharaoh and lead the people out of Egypt? We all know that Moses, whom many considered a prophet and others considered nothing but trouble, did what God called him to do. Moses initiated the great exodus out of Egypt to the mountain where the Promised Land of milk and honey awaited the people of God.
An old way of life and a new community was to be formed not through the power of the Pharaoh and deities, but through the one God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God was the center of all power that would be shown to them at Mt. Sinai. The enslaved Israelites were hungry for freedom. They followed Moses, their new leader, with faith that God would release them from a life of despair and bondage. Moses led his people with hope and faith in the true God.
Today, my focus is on a leader of the twentieth century for the masses of people who struggled for a new way of life. People wanted freedom from oppression and segregation in the US and internationally. Some called him a radical and a troublemaker. Some called him the poor people’s voice or the Black Moses. His family and close friends called him “ML.” I, like so many others, call The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the Prince of Peace of our time. Nationally and internationally, he was known as a champion for the poor, a peacemaker, and a voice for justice for all.
God gave both prophets, Dr. King and Moses, a glimpse of the Promised Land of freedom before they died. Moses was shown the Promised Land nestled across the Jordan River in the land of Canaan. Dr. King proclaimed the day before he died that he too had seen the Promised Land and like Moses had a strong feeling that he would not be the one to usher his people into this new free land. The death of Dr. King on April 4, 1968 left many questions for the African American community concerning who would emerge as the new leader to carry out the inspired plan of justice and equality for all people.
The people’s voice was now silenced by a sniper’s bullet. I, personally, felt a sense of loss, uncertainty, and bewilderment. In Washington, D.C. where I grew up, I remember feeling uneasy and uncomfortable while the National Guard was stationed on the grounds of my junior high school. They were here for what seemed like an eternity since they were preventing us from enjoying our P.E. (physical education) class outside. My friends and I felt like we were being quarantined inside our school. The National Guard’s band gave a concert in the school auditorium that did help us to somewhat cope with their presence.
However, it was a tense and terrible time for us in D.C. We watched the burning of the
H Street N.E. corridor, 7th Street N.W., and 14th Street NW on the television. I sat riveted and in shock after reading in the Washington Post, that one of my classmates was listed among the missing and presumed dead or buried in the rubble and debris of the burning stores.
I realized that, Dr. King had the burdensome task of a prophet set before him just as Moses did. He led the Civil Rights Movement advocating unity through desegregation and equality for all. His source of strength was from God who motivated him to stand up for what was the right. Dr. King must have been encouraged knowing that our living God could transform the “…fatigue of despair into the buoyancy of hope…” (copied and adapted, Stephen B. Oates, Let the Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. (New York: Harper and Row, 1982, p.11.) Dr. King maintained his strong faith knowing that God would be a constant presence in his life.
Out of all of the ways Dr. King was described, he primarily considered himself a Christian and a servant of God. “I am just a man doing the will of God,” he would often say. It was said of him during his funeral, and at his request, “Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others…tried to love somebody…tried to be right on the war question…did try to feed the hungry…clothed those who were naked…visit those who were in prison...tried to love and to serve humanity.” (copied.Martin Luther King, Jr. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. (New York: Warner Books, 1998), p.366) He preached and lived the principles of Jesus Christ in building a new community where unconditional love for all people resides in the hearts of his followers. Dr. King knew as Moses did that the earth was ruled by the love of God and that God stands on the side of truth and justice.
There have been many strides made over the years and yes, more strides are needed for the children of tomorrow. What about us today? What are we going to do to keep the dream alive? We are charged to “walk in love, as Christ loved us…” (Ephesians 5:2) and to continue to stand up for justice, peace, equality, and the dignity of all people.
Let us be lead by faith to give hope to others who are encountering the numerous forces of oppression in our world today. Let your voice resonate as an advocate for the destitute. Let your voice resonate by the stroke of your pen for voting rights and equal representation for all people. Let your voice resonate as a healer for wounded souls in our communities. Let your voice resonate as a reconciler welcoming the outcast from outside into the doors of our Church.
Tomorrow St. Margaret’s church bells will ring at 12 noon in memory of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this prophet of our time. I ask that where ever you are at that time stop and pray on behalf of those who live under oppressive circumstances in the world. Pray for peace. Dr. King gave his life standing up for peace and justice for his children, for your children, and for all of us. Dr. King like Moses accepted the call to be a leader for his community forging the way for equality for all humanity worldwide.
Let us pray: O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world. Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellowship, and show us your presence in those who differ most from us, until our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for all your children through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Common Worship)
Amen.
