Ed Gilbreath says that Letter from Birmingham Jail is representative of the heart of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s oall message. His message was one of reconciliation. King believed that we’re all connected. As a result, he struggled with the idea that anything could separate us. Black, white, red, brown… we all have the same Spirit. King’s famous letter is a masterpiece in framing the change which needed to happen in society.
At The High Calling, we had the opportunity to talk with Gilbreath about his study and writing on King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. In this video interview, he discusses issues of justice, how anger can drive us to push for change, and the leadership modeled by King.
As we observe Black History Month, we like look back at notable African-Americans who have broken through barriers to accomplish great things. As I re-read through King’s letter and Gilbreath’s book, I sense that these conversations are just as important today as they have ever been. Gilbreath refers to King as a prophet, and I tend to agree. He see the world as it should be, speaks the Truth into the hearts of a fallen people who get it wrong over and over again, and the ideas are as timeless as they are convicting.
Consider some key quotes from King’s letter:
“In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be…This is the inter-related structure of reality.”
“Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
My heart breaks over what seems to be constant news regarding tragic events rooted in racial tension. It tells me that we still have a great deal to learn about how to get along with one another. I feel challenged to take the time to sit with and get to know people of other cultures and backgrounds better. It’s not just a skin-color thing, rather it’s an issue the crosses any kind of boundaries that divide us.
There is immeasurable value in working with people who are different than us, discussing ideas with people who have different backgrounds and experiences than us.
Can we all make it a goal this year during Black History Month to get to know someone who is different than us? Better yet, how can we find ways to work more closely together with people who are different than us?
Editor’s Note: You can check out Ed Gilbreath’s books on Amazon.com. His book Birmingham Revolution is the fuller version of the short e-book we discussed in this video.
[Image via Wikimedia Commons. Design by Dan King.]
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