Yesterday we celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
There’s a risk in setting aside a special day to commemorate Dr. King’s life. We may invest ourselves in a one-day avalanche of feel-good quotes and Facebook memes, then return to business as usual. That would be a shame, because it’s clear that Dr. King’s dream is far from fulfilled.
For me, Dr. King’s message and legacy centers on a life dedicated to service and sacrifice.
“The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But… the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?'” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
USAmerican Christianity can easily become a self-centered search for comfort and “my rights.” Dr. King reminded us that following Jesus is about “what’s right,” about justice, about putting others’ needs before my desires.
By the standards of the day, the preist and the Levite were practical; the good Samaritan was foolish. Many current folks would agree. This isn’t a welfare state. Why didn’t the man defend himself? Why should I risk my safety–he might be a criminal or a terrorist.
Jesus says the good Samaritan used God’s standards, God’s economy. Dr. King’s legacy reminds us that those standards still apply.