Monday, January 16, 2012
“…for the first things have passed away…See I am making all things new” (Revelation 21.4 – 5).
Today we remember the birth of Martin Luther King Jr and honor him as a national hero; on April 4th we remember his death and honor him as a prophet and martyr. Four days before he was killed, King preached a sermon at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. and the passage above was the text he used. The title of the sermon was “Remaining Awake through a Great Revolution”; in it he warned of the dangers of sleeping through a revolution and failing
“ to develop the new attitudes, the new mental responses, that the new situation demands” (King). In 1968, as King preached this sermon, he suggested there were three revolutions taking place:” triple revolution:
“a technological revolution, with the impact of automation and cybernation; then there is a revolution in weaponry, with the emergence of atomic and nuclear weapons of warfare; then there is a human rights revolution, with the freedom explosion that is taking place all over the world.”(King)
Those revolutions continue, I would suggest, and we certainly could add to that list on
this day in 2012…a technological revolution that threatens to make us a paperless world, a
religious revolution in which more and more people are turning away from the institutional
church, an economic revolution in which the bottom has dropped out of what many, many people
considered the major financial indicator, and the list could go on and on.
But as Christians, aren’t we always in a revolution…aren’t we always “putting on the armor of God” to be able to “stand against the wiles of the devil”? and as Paul goes on in Ephesians, “For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6. 10 – 12).
Today, perhaps we should take Dr. King’s warning personally and be careful of not sleeping through the revolution in which the former things will pass away and all things will be made new. The tables have been flipped in the temple, the Crucified has been made whole…we must keep alert, “pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication and make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6. 18 – 19).
I leave you with Dr. King’s concluding words and with the hope and prayer that we will all join hands in the struggle against the “present darkness,” staying awake and alert in this world of revolution, loving our enemies, doing good to those who hate us, blessing those who curse us…now those are revolutionary behaviors!
“Thank God for John, who centuries ago out on a lonely, obscure island called Patmos caught vision of a new Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, who heard a voice saying, ‘Behold, I make all things new; former things are passed away.’
God grant that we will be participants in this newness and this magnificent development. If we will but do it, we will bring about a new day of justice and brotherhood and peace. And that day the morning stars will sing together and the sons of God will shout for joy. God bless you. (King)
ps. According to one source, Dr. King’s last words were to a musician who was to play at the event where King was to speak that night. King said, “Make sure you play ‘Precious Lord Take me Home’ in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty.” Here is a recording of it.
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