The Peace of Dr. King
Dear Friends,
Why do we need to humanize our heroes and put flesh on our champions? Why do we need to show Dr. King playing ball with his daughter, lounging beside a Jamaican pool with his wife, leaning back with a full belly and whole heart at the supper table with his friends? Because heroes like Dr. King have long been dehumanized in multiple ways: through the feel-good, whitewashing of posted inspirational quotes and dehumanized through racist, fear-filled words spat out like bile—an infectious sickness needing a new host.
Dr. King was a prophet with fire in his belly and conviction running through his veins—each capillary and artery carrying truth like a blazing sword. Never did he mince his words or cushion truth with sentimental platitudes making it easier for white people to digest. His mission was to disturb peace and disrupt harmony for everyone, because there is no peace in injustice and there is no harmony in oppression. His mission was corrosive acid to the privileged peace and harmony that white America held/holds so dear. His mission cut through protective bubbles that kept white people removed and distant from the murderous pain their racism caused people of color.
In Matthew 10:34, Jesus tells his followers, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”
This is not some call from Jesus to engage in violent behavior because Jesus never justifies brutality or bloodshed. The sword Jesus mentions is God’s eternal truth. Truth divides right from wrong. Truth exposes sin of injustice and harmful behaviors and white supremacy. Truth cuts away the racism, prejudice, segregation, and discrimination to reveal the belovedness of the great commandment to love God and love neighbor.
Jesus is called the Prince of peace and Jesus said how peacemakers are the ones who are blessed as God’s children, so we know Jesus is for peace. But there is only one kind of peace Jesus is for and it is the kind of peace that makes you whole. Shalom (peace) means wholeness and completeness and all things are right. The peace Jesus didn’t come to bring and is disgusted by is societal harmony and cultural happiness. The kind of peace that’s afraid of making waves or disrupting the status quo. The kind of easy-peace that says we should mind our own business.
But friends, the kind of peace that keeps you comfortable is not the kind of peace that makes you whole.
Dr. King was never interested in keeping the peace to remain comfortable. Every bit of truth Dr. King did, said, and exposed came at the brutal cost of shalom. It was never comfortable but it made him whole.
Dr. King knew how to enjoy life. He took time to care for his soul and the souls of those he deeply loved. He lived unafraid of the consequences of shalom because he knew the kind of peace that made him whole was a peace worth prophetically working towards.
May we never pursue peace that keeps us comfortable but may we seek peace that makes us whole.
With (love and shalom),
Bethany