The legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., is great. It seems that every major city in the United States has a street named after him. The meat of his legacy, of course, is in what he did in the fight for civil rights and how he did that through nonviolent means. Much of what I see in King’s approach reflects the values of the Kingdom. This is no surprise since King was a Christian minister. What is surprising is how those often claiming the label Christian have failed to pick up on the power in his approach, especially since it aligns itself with Kingdom values.
(1) The equality of persons. The movement led by King focused on the equality of the African American. This is reminiscent of a passage like Galatians 3:28 where “there is neither Jew nor Greek, . . . for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” The Jewish-Gentile tensions in early Christianity appeared to be heavy, and the early Christians and the apostle Paul had to address this tension often.
(2) Nonviolent resistance. One of the emphases of King’s civil rights movement is that of nonviolence. Similarly, the Kingdom came through the proclamation of the gospel with love—a nonviolent method. True to the form of nonviolence, the early Christians were arrested and martyred. Jesus stated that the Kingdom was not of this world and that is why the disciples did not fight to stop the arrest (John 18:36). Yet, with this nonviolence came resistance: in the twentieth century it was resistance to inequality, while in the first, it was resistance to the forces of darkness.
(3) Social justice. In addition to civil rights, King also fought for the aid of the poor. Jesus and the Epistle of James and have similar exhortations. Truly, the Christian has the obligation to love one’s neighbor, and this includes the poor. While God is often found in suffering, the church is to help those who suffer.
King was not a perfect human being and often fell short, but the civil rights that were established because of him cannot be denied. Wherever we find Kingdom values upheld, whether this be through a believer in Christ or through a God-despiser, we find God’s intentions carried out. So we celebrate this day in honor of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., who carried out those intentions.
the archives near Emmaus 
@JohnDave: You did a fantastic job connecting the various aspects of Dr. King’s vision. Often we think of him as either just about racial equality or sometimes about racial equality and non-violence. King seemed to see a connection between racial equality, care for the poor, and non-violence as all part of Jesus’ calling for us. Very counter-culture!
Brian,
Thanks! There may be some question about how Christian he was, and the other influences in his life, like Ghandi, but even still, I think that it is his Christian background that also influenced him in the way he approached things. I’m still surprise that we often miss the power of counter-culture approaches. Not that we have to be counter-culture in everything, but when being counter-culture is done right, the impact is great.
“Yet, with this nonviolence came resistance: in the twentieth century it was resistance to inequality, while in the first, it was resistance to the forces of darkness.”
Very good post! I think Dr. King’s “resistance to inequality” was quite similar to Paul’s “resistance to the forces of darkness.” Both battles were engaging the corrupt systems of humanity in an effort to bring God’s kingdom into the earth.
Matthew,
Your connection is right on. The battle against the human corrupt systems is something that will go on until the Lord comes. I’m glad that we have the Holy Spirit to aid us in the battle, and to do it in a way that isn’t through violence but through love.
@JohnDave: I find inspiration in the techniques of Gandhi (though I have no reason to believe that I will ever face a situation where they are tested) and I have failed numerous times at various things related to Christian ethics. If people down Dr. King was a Christian then they should doubt that I am a Christian and most of us who confess Christ for that matter. I don’t say that to overlook some of his serious flaws, but only to note we all have those flaws. I think King did well in honoring Christ with his life all things considered.
Good points!