How to Stand Tall-II

How to Stand Tall-II
Psalm 54

I found myself thinking and talking about Martin Luther King Jr. again yesterday (see the comment on Psalm 52), the day set for the dedication of his memorial and the anniversary of his “I Have a Dream” speech. It fit neatly with the Scriptures that were set for our reading in church. We began with the call of Moses, whom Dr. King resembled in being called to a role for which he had no personal desire; he expected to lead the quiet life of an academic and pastor, like me. The Gospel passage related Jesus’ warning to his disciples that people who followed him were going to have to take up their own cross just as he did, which was certainly true of Dr. King. The epistle from Romans 12 spoke of love and a refusal to take redress; leave that to God. Such action heaps coals on your enemies’ heads, says Paul, quoting Proverbs 25. Maybe the image refers to God’s punishment; maybe it means people come to see the error of their ways...