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The Episcopal Café seeks to be an independent voice, reporting and reflecting on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican tradition. The Café is not a platform of advocacy, but it does aim to tell the story of the church from the perspective of Progressive Christianity. Our collective sympathy, as the Café, lies with the project of widening the circle of inclusion within the church and empowering all the baptized for the role to which they have been called as followers of Christ.
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As President Jimmy Carter said in 1977 when posthumously presenting the Presidential Medal of Honor to Dr. King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, “He was the conscience of his generation>”
Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 for courageously stepping outside the safe and familiar confines of Ebenezer Baptist Church and speaking truth to power to a nation-wide congregation.
He spoke of housing and employment discrimination; he spoke of voters rights denied; he spoke of wars that drained our country’s ability to care adequately for our needs; and he spoke of a widening gap of income equality. He challenged the Church to walk-the-walk and not hide behind self-serving platitudes. He spoke most compellingly about how the evils of white supremacy harm us all. In 1968, these were dangerous ideas.
On the commemoration of Martin’s 86th birthday, I thank God for his time among us and wonder, after nearly 50 years, how dangerous these ideas remain. I guess the same could be asked for Jesus, after two millenia.