Admittedly, I normally waste Martin Luther King Day. I can’t say that I’ve read any significant biography of Dr. King. I’ve probably never taken the day to think about his accomplishments or the implications of them. Normally, I have a normal Monday on MLK day. I don’t think that makes me a racist (perhaps I am and am merely in denial -I just don’t think so). I don’t take off on President’s Day either. I don’t celebrate Washington’s birthday. It never crosses my mind. I have wasted tons of July 4 celebrations – in terms of spending the day in patriotic reflection. If anything, my normal lack of reflection on MLK day – or any other national holiday – says more about my lack of being intentional about my life than it does any racial tendencies.
Even so, I did not wast this past MLK day. Last Monday, I did in fact go to the office for our normal Monday pastors’ meeting and then left at mid-day to go home. I spent the rest of the day reading through the 9 Marks e-journal (I saved it for this day) on the Church’s response to racism. I was incredibly blessed by it. For me, the greatest articles in the journal were D. A. Carson’s article, “Five Steps for Racial Reconciliation on Sunday at 11 a.m.” This was one of the more balanced and biblical reflections on a Christian response to ethnic discrimination that I have read. Thabiti Anyabwile’s “Many Ethnicities, One Race.” Well articulated, thoroughly biblical, and if heeded, would change the language in which we speak of race, or should I say, ethnic, relations. These two, I will read again.
If there was a drawback in the e-journal, for me it was the round table discussion. I found myself wondering out loud and in red ink in the margin how specifically the charges of ethnic disparity from whites toward blacks could be overturned. I heard the charge clearly, I just did not see the solutions as clearly.
I’m thankful that 9 Marks brought in younger voices of solid theology to speak to the issues, and the journal peaked my interest in doing more personally. I hope by this time next year, that I could spend my MLK day reflecting on specific applications I have tried to make over the year to some of the profound issues raised by these helpful brethren.
I realize this post is a week late – but, as a friendly reminder, I don’t live for the blog – the blog lives for me and I get around to it when it suits me. That’s the joy of having one’s own blog.
If you wasted your MLK day, be sure to read John Piper’s challenge:
