The Letters of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Every year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I read two letters. One letter is new every year; the other only seems new. Today, I encourage you to join me in this tradition and read these letters below. It is worth the time to read them.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

From "I Have a Dream: Writings & Speeches That Changed the World": Dr. King rarely took time to defend himself against his opponents. But eight prominent "liberal" Alabama clergymen published an open letter earlier in January that called on King to allow the battle for integration to continue in the local and federal courts. They warned that King's nonviolent resistance would have the effect of inciting civil disturbances. Dr. King wanted Christian ministers to see that the meaning of Christian discipleship was at the heart of the African American struggle for freedom, Justice, and Equality.

Perhaps Dr. King's most famous words are his "I Have a Dream" speech and his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech. However, the words of Dr. King that speak most deeply to me are those he penned in 1963 from a Birmingham Jail cell. Although it was written over 50 years, ago, it was written to white liberal pastors who supported the movement, but hesitantly. I see myself in these pastors, wanting to support efforts for equality and justice but always hesitant to be on the front lines. So, Dr. King's words are an annual call to action for me, a challenging exhortation from a colleague that rouses me from my slumber.

A Letter to Martin (Bishop Woodie W. White)

From the United Methodist News Service: Each year, retired United Methodist Bishop Woodie W. White writes a "birthday letter" to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. about the progress of racial equality in the United States. White, now bishop-in-residence at Emory University in Atlanta, was the first chief executive of the General Commission on Religion and Race.

I doubt Bishop White knows this, but he has been and continues to be influential to me in my ministry. I never served with him or under his direction, but we became acquaintances at Candler School of Theology at Emory, where I attended from 2005-08. I heard him preach a few times, and took a class he taught called "The Methodist Church and Race." I found Bishop White to possess a kind and gentle spirit, but also prone to flashes of wit and humor that delight and amaze. But there was a seriousness about him as well, a prophetic voice shaped by his experiences in the civil rights movement. Such experience might leave some people bitter and hardened, but Bishop White had resolve - a holy determination to continue fighting injustice in a spirit of love and peace. Each year, Bishop White's "Letter to Martin" reminds me that the battle for racial equality is not over, so we must continue to work toward the goal.