By Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis
Kairos: The Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice
The 50th anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Beyond Vietnam” sermon from the Riverside Church fell just before Holy Week. His speech marked one year before his assassination, and his refusal to remain silent about the triple evils of war, racism and poverty in “Beyond Vietnam” must be remembered in relationship to that violent silencing.
With us now in the midst of Holy Week, it is hard not to notice parallels between the lives, missions, and legacies of Jesus Christ and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. By looking at these holy and prophetic leaders next to each other, we can learn something about both of them. I see five related actions, commitments and experiences that help us understand their ministries and what they are calling us to do today