Minutes to Memories

alsturgeon

I grew up in a city so white we had to put sunblock on the population sign, yet this lack of racial diversity had curious effects.

On the one hand, I was very familiar with lots of sayings that utilized the "n-word" in a variety of creative ways. That horribly racist word preceded "toes" to describe a tasty, chocolate snack. It preceded "rig" to describe a primitive way to make something work. It was whom you would "catch by the toe" in the deciding song, Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo. And these, I'm ashamed to say, are the nice, complimentary ways in which I regularly heard the term.

But on the other hand, the complete dominance of the Caucasian race in my hometown meant that the subject of race relations didn't come up very much at all. So, in an odd twist of fate, in spite of the vocabulary with which I was quite familiar, I really wasn't raised with feelings one way or the other toward race relations.

Which worked out good in the end, especially considering how things could have gone.

I was not alive when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lived his life, so I speak only in retrospect. I am well aware of his moral failings exposed after his death, but I am not shy in proclaiming that he has become a personal hero of mine. His life amazes me.

I have toured the Civil Rights Museum built at the Lorraine Motel where he was assassinated (pictured above) in Memphis, and I was moved by the experience. I have traveled to Montgomery to see the church he pastored when the movement began and to examine the Civil Rights Memorial built close by, and I was moved by that experience as well. I own and have read every word in A Call to Conscience, a book full of the landmark speeches delivered by Dr. King.

I am, undoubtedly, a fan.

I am amazed by his eloquence and the moral & intellectual depth of his speeches, but I am most impressed by his commitment to the way of Jesus at a time in history when there were other options to pursue. I am amazed that, as a young pastor, he was willing and able to be the voice of nonviolence in a world turned so violently against his race. I am amazed by the positive results from his leadership, as well as his willingness to put his life on the line - and in so doing, give it up - for the cause he believed in so deeply.

I remember, here in the South, lots of scoffing at naming a federal holiday after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but I'm here to tell you that I can't think of a more appropriate reason to have a holiday.

May you have a wonderful Martin Luther King Day, and may remembering him continue to change the world we live in for the better.