"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Influence"

"Thinking of MLK's Influence"

As I was working on a recent blog post I was also watched several programs on WOSU about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the preparations for today's celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, D. C. in 1963 and King's "I Have a Dream" speech. I was just getting ready to enter high school. While I remember the event I was only beginning to be exposed to the issues of poverty and race and my faith.

Anyway, sometime during the watching of the WOSU programs I began to sense that this would be a good day to share what effect King had on me. You see, by the time I was a freshman at ONU I was beginning to understand that being a Christian involved more than/something different than making a personal decision to be a follower of Jesus, being born again. On January 11, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke on ONU's campus. He had been a classmate of ONU's chaplain at the time, Dr. James Udy, while at Boston. King's visit to campus was controversial for some both in the area and and the campus at the time. King was murdered in Memphis on April 5, 1968 just four months after his visit/speech at ONU. A record was made of his speech. I still have the record. It is one of my most prized possessions.

Well, as the years passed the day King was on ONU's campus changed from controversial to a matter of pride - one of the most notable events to have ever taken place on the ONU campus. It was decided to erect a memorial on the south side of the Taft building, Taft Gymnasium when he spoke there. I had shared over the years how King had impacted/influenced my life and ministry over the years and was asked to speak at the dedication - which I gladly agreed to do. The rest of this post are the words I shared that day. (I'm still looking for some of the other things I wrote over the years and may post those later.)

"I suppose the day Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at ONU will forever have a place in my mind and heart. For a young freshman who was raised in an insulated, safe, small rural community, religion was something one did on Sunday morning and social issues were things politicians dealt with somewhere else. That perspective on the relationship between religion and the issues of society had already begun to become blurry by January of 1968. Dr. James Udy, then chaplain of ONU, and several older students were certainly instrumental in the early disturbing of my simple way of departmentalizing life.

"I was sitting in the auxiliary gym in Taft here – far enough away from the main platform where King spoke that I don’t remember whether I could actually see him or not. I don’t remember who I sat with that day – what I was doing before or what I did after his speech – I don’t remember if anything else went on before or after he spoke. What I do remember is what he said and the difference it has made on my life.

"While it certainly was one of the epiphanies that revealed to me that it was indeed the ordained ministry God was calling me into, it even more importantly helped shape the way and the why of my ministry and my life.
"There’s no question that what King said that day and how he said it, I really would have to say changed my life – changed my theology – what I believed about God and the role of religion in the world. King’s coming to ONU and his speech awakened in me an awareness that following Christ involved a whole lot more than the personal decision to be more conscientious about my personal relationship with God – it involved a whole lot more than simply being concerned about eternal life – it means also walking the talk – taking the side of the disadvantaged – the disenfranchised – the powerless – the poor.

"King’s speech – while he was talking – even though unable to be seen – it just seemed like we were a part of something that was larger than life – larger than the moment. It was, to be sure, inspirational. But, there was this sense that we were in the presence of someone real – someone who lived the talk – someone who was larger than life. I shall never forget the experience.

"Thank you for the opportunity to share at this special ceremony marking one of the most historic visits to this campus and area on this significant anniversary of his assassination.  Amen."

Peace, brothers and sisters!

(Now I think I'll go to the ONU library website and listen to his speech that day again before the D.C. event begins!)