In a time of prevalent civil unrest, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man known for his strength and determined stance just as much as his courage, intelligence, and commitment to God and the civil rights movement, faced what many would deem insurmountable odds. He was a young African-American minister living in the deep south of the United States in a time when segregation and overt racism were the unfortunate norm in the southern states, leaving African-Americans with little recourse to eke out a living and survive, let alone have their voices be heard and their rights protected. He lived during a time when being African-American in the United States meant that you automatically had a target permanently etched into your skin and the idea of racial equality, to many, seemed a luxury they could not afford.
Dr. King was jailed multiple times, despite being innocent, his home was attacked, and he faced multiple facets of violence, including police dogs, fire hoses, police batons, each time that he participated in a non-violent demonstration. Despite battling constant scrutiny, criticism, and inappropriate arrests and attacks, Dr. King was committed to resisting the temptation to seek vengeance, choosing instead to do what is good for everyone, a sentiment expressed by the Apostle Paul when he wrote to the Thessalonian church encouraging them to “make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else” 1 Thessalonians 5:15 NIV.
Like Paul, Dr. King had many opportunities to get even with or physically fight those who sought to (and some did) hurt him, his character, his family, and the entire ethnic group to which he belonged, but he preferred peace, recognizing that God was the judge rather than any human being.
And just like Paul and Dr. King, we followers of Christ encounter hardships and challenges daily. And like them, we, too, must prefer peace, forgoing any right to seek vengeance for ourselves, choosing instead to “strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.” Be blessed. #sanguinemango
Sanguine Mango 