FriJun222007
Yesterday in Birmingham we visited the Civil Rights Institute and today, the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot. The experience of these exhibits is overwhelming, shocking, sickening, and maddening. The hatred and bigotry was blunt and brutal. Seeing video and photos of whites acting out their racism during segregation, in response to peaceful demonstrations, against children, and surrounding the integration of schools, is appalling. I can't begin to explain all the aspects that were horrific about the history of the Civil Rights struggle.
The other side of the experience was the admiration I came to feel deeply for the leaders and participants of the movement. Their vision of freedom when reality offered no hope, their inner strength when meeting all manner of opposition, and their determination to regroup after every setback and press on is so inspiring and humbling.
Dr. John Perkins, President of the Christian Community Development Association, speaking at the 16th Street Baptist Church, set a vision for a struggle for justice today that begins with healing the church. He preached the importance of working to overcome segregation in church life and truly reflect Christ's vision of one church. He said the walls today are racial and ethnic, and he asked, "Where are the peacemakers?" The subtitle of his sermon was "receive not the grace of God in vain." When we are "born again," the redemptive grace of God is released in us and then, our life in Christian fellowship releases this grace into the community.
There is a scripture inscribed on a memorial at the Lorraine Motel to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Genesis 37:19-20:
"They said one to another,
Behold, here cometh the dreamer...
Let us slay him...
And we shall see what will become of his dream."
Dr. Perkins encouraged us to continue to work to build our multi-racial Christian community and let the joy of the Lord that comes from that bond release a new work of God in our world. It is the hope of a Justice Journey experience that our small group can carry forward in some way the spirit of the dream.