Greetings to all in the Love of Jesus Christ:

January 20 is here, and it brings an odd mixture of events and emotions. For some, the big event today is the inauguration of a president. For others, the big event is the commemoration of the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For still others, the big event is the NCAA football championship. And it is likely that others of us will celebrate birthdays, mourn the loss of a loved one, or experience a life-changing event in our personal lives.
While much of the world knows Dr. King as a Civil Rights leader, the Church has long recognized him as a prophet – a spokesperson for God, a voice calling for God’s vision of righteousness and justice to be realized within our social realm. In seminary, I was inspired by a book entitled “Four Modern Prophets,” highlighting the work and ministry of Rev. Dr. King, Walter Rauschenbusch, Gustavo Gutiérrez, and Rosemary Radford Ruether. If you are not familiar with all of them, I encourage you to do some research. You may be inspired!
King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” reminds many of the letters found in the New Testament – a letter written by a major church leader to a group of ministers dealing with some specific issues. It was a letter written to the clergy of Birmingham, much like the letters written to church leaders in Corinth, Philippi, and Thessalonica, but it has a much wider application, calling the church to stand up
I leave you with some of his words, inviting us to renew and deepen our understanding of Christ’s call to love our neighbor:
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.
For years now I have heard the word “wait.” This “wait” has almost always meant “never.” We must come to see with the distinguished jurist of yesterday that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”
I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizens Councillor or the Ku Klux Klanner but the white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice; …who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be coworkers with God, and without this hard work time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation.
May all Arizona Disciples be counted among such coworkers with God!
Dios les bendiga!
Rev. Dr. Jay Hartley
You can find a list of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day events across the Phoenix metro area in this article from the Arizona Republic, or information about the Tucson celebration on Facebook.