Here are some basic biographic facts.  (1) Early life.  He was born Michael King Jr. on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia.  His parents were Michael King Sr. and Alberta Williams King.  He grew up attending the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.  He father and his maternal grandfather served as “pastors” in this church.  His father changed their names to Martin Luther King after a visit to Germany.  (2) Education.  He graduated high school at the age of fifteen.  He received a B.A. in sociology from Morehouse College (Atlanta), a B. Div. from Crozer Theological Seminary (Upland, Pennsylvania), and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University.  (3) Work.  He served as the “pastor” of the Dexter Ave. Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama (1954-1959) and “co-pastor” of the Ebenezer Baptist Church Atlanta, Georgia (1960-1968).  (4) Civil Rights.  He led the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott.  He served as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).  The conference organized nonviolent protests for civil rights reform.  His house was bombed on January 30, 1956.  No one was injured.  He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.  He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, while standing on the second-floor balcony of the Lorrain Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. 

Martin Luther King Jr. is a controversial figure.  He is beloved by many and despised by others.  “King’s life had a seismic impact on race relations in the United States.  Years after his death, he is the most widely known African American leaders of his era. His life and work have been honored with a national holiday, streets, schools and public buildings are named after him, and a memorial… in Washington D.C..  But his life remains controversial as well.  In the 1970’s FBI files, released under the Freedom of Information Act, revealed that he was under government surveillance, and suggested his involvement in adulterous relationships and communist influences.  Over the years, extensive archival studies have led to a more balanced and comprehensive assessment of his life, portraying him as a complex figure: flawed, fallible, and limited in his control over the mass movements with which he was associated, yet, a visionary leader who was deeply committed to achieving social justice through non-violent means.  In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed into law a bill creating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a federal holiday honoring the legacy of the slain civil rights leader.  Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was first celebrated in 1986, and in all 50 states in 2000” (Martin Luther King Jr., biography.com, this is the way the quote read on Jan. 9, 2024).  Theologically, there are many differences that I have with the man.

However, I want to consider something he said with which all Christians should be able to agree.  He said in his “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on August 28, 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial something very beautiful.  He said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”  This agrees with Peter’s words, “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.  But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:34-35).  May we so live.