Dr. King has given me the direction for my next 41 years.
Understand, the loss of my mother has caused me a nearly indescribable amount of pain. I have given great thought to changing the entire direction of ministry – it has to be about more than just helping people understand the Bible better or be a better person.
Dr. King’s ‘triplets of evil’ are alive and well in our world and impact us all everyday … but because they are imbedded in larger structures they can hide from people’s awareness and so they need to be investigated, exposed and subverted.
After my mom’s passing I flew to NY for my dad’s birthday, and over the course of that weekend my father and I were able to return again and again to a conversation about why this has become such a conviction for me. It was probably one of the most important conversations I have ever had with my father. He really heard my heart and came to understand why I have gone the direction I have with life and ministry.
In honor of this holiday and my mother’s memory I want to say two things:
- Be kind to each other. We are all carrying hurts and concerns and scars that may be impossible to see from the surface. As humans, we are all in this together … the world doesn’t need more strife and violence and division.
- We are all caught up in systems and structures that work against the ‘common-wealth’ of humanity and the planet. They need to be confronted and radically dismantled.
Now, as a christian minister I have chosen to stick with the gospel as I think that it provides the tools to do these two things.
On this MLK holiday I just wanted honor the legacy of a man and movement that has deeply impacted me and inspired my vision for the next 41 years.
“We must rapidly begin the shift from a “thing-oriented” society to a “person-oriented” society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
January 19, 2015 at 11:17 pm
Dear Bo
Wow! That’s big! I have been watching/listening from afar (Australia) for some time now and have been so helped and enriched by yourself and Tripp through HBC and TNT. As one who, at the age of 60, sits teetering between atheism and agnosticism, what I hold onto from my upbringing and personal exploration of all things ‘faith’ is the desire to be ‘kind’ as a daily practise, and to practically contribute to bringing justice and healing to my own community and the world at large. Of course, this happens with degrees of success. I love the way you are going and look forward to continuing to follow you and your ministry in the days ahead. ‘Go for it!’. ….P.S. and so glad to hear of the meaningful time with your dad. Lucky you!
April 1, 2015 at 5:48 pm
Peter! Thank you SO much!!! I don’t know how I missed this before but am so happy to see it now… the encouragement has come at the perfect time.