Can A White, Middle Class Guy Relate to Martin Luther King?
January 2, 2024 | Rev. Dr. Sean Holloway
In a nutshell, ‘no.’ Speaking as a white, middle class guy, I do not believe that I, or anyone of my peers, can ‘relate’ to King. His experience, (or the experience of any black or brown person, and hardships endured particularly in the 50's and 60's,) are not our experience, and probably will not be. I write this, the day after Martin Luther King Day, on January 16th, 2024, and noticed that the day has come and gone, barely noticed. My wife and both of my adult kids were at work, and, only because I serve a Church that recognizes the holiday, did I have the day off. I imagine that had I labored for most any other entity, I also would have gone to work with barely a notice of the day. Schools were out, banks were closed, no mail that day, yet do we even know why?
Though I do not believe that we can relate to King, I believe it is incumbent upon all of us to understand his position and promote it for the welfare of all. There should be no ceasing of the strive of equity for all. In August of 1963, King had been arrested for a non-violent protest in Birmingham, Alabama. While there, he penned his famous letter that I highly encourage all to read in its entirety. I want to highlight just a few things of what he was saying.
King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”* There is no place in a just society where injustice should be allowed. If there are any laws, policies or rules that target people based on skin color, then those laws, policies or rules must be stricken. How can we say we live in a just society, when not all citizens live by the exact same rules? What is just for one, should be just for all.
When King was addressing how we are to determine what law is just and what law is unjust, he said:
Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.*
Well…of course! For the Christian, this should be self-evident. Of course, all laws should follow God’s moral law, and when it does not, it is probably self-serving. There are no authorities, no laws, no policies in place that are NOT subject to God’s ultimate authority.
In 1963, (and it pains me to say that I am not seeing much difference today,) when speaking about the contemporary church, King said:
The contemporary church is so often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. It is so often the arch supporter of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's often vocal sanction of things as they are.*
Ouch. As a pastoral leader, I have seen time and time again amongst churches and other pastors the reluctance to do or say anything controversial. Somewhere, we lost the drive to speak Truth and have settled for a wishy-washy message, that is ‘lukewarm,’ (see Rev. 13:18-19,) and messages are delivered to ‘tickle the ears,’ (see 2 Timothy 4:3.) Woe is us. The Church should be the loudest voice when promoting the Gospel and the justice it seeks. Jesus offers freedom to all, not freedom to some.
Further, King said, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”* It is too easy to take a back seat, avoid confrontation and conflict, and just hope things work out for the best. Or, worse yet, solely focus on self-gratification at the expense of others. Though there are some bright lights here and there, I feel that our society is happy sitting behind our phones, ambivalent to the world around them and the spiritual forces at work.
So no, I don’t believe that the White Middle Class guy can relate to King. But to let his work, his day, slip by unnoticed is a travesty. How can we move forward with any work if we do not understand where we have come from? Every day is a good day to take stock in how our society is faring and ensure equal opportunity for all. Every day is a good day to advocate for those who are suffering. Understand King’s work, look around, are we helping each other up…or, out?
~ Pastor Sean
*All quotes taken from “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, by Martin Luther King, Jr., August, 1963