By Pastor Michael W. Waters – Dallas South News Contributor
On April 16, 1963, from his prison cell in the Birmingham City Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. penned one of the classic texts of the 20th Century.
Having already spent eleven days in prison, King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail was his eloquent response to published criticism he received the day of his arrest. Widely celebrated as one of the greatest treatises on civil disobedience ever written, King wrote, “I have watched many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which made a strange distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular.”
King’s critique continued, “So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an arch supporter of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church’s silent and often even vocal sanction of things as they are.”
Unfortunately, Dr. King’s critique of the church is alarmingly accurate, as if it were written yesterday, not forty-seven years ago. When it comes to addressing the great and significant human concerns of today – healthcare, education, poverty, the environment, to name a few – the church has remained largely silent and disengaged.
In the midst of another election cycle and another Census taking, both of critical importance towards shaping the political landscape and progress of this nation, a question must be posed; will the church speak boldly to the issues of the day and inspire political engagement that results in votes cast, or fail to speak above a whisper?
Given the “fierce urgency of now” failure is not an option. In the words of Dr. King, “I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenge of this decisive hour.”
The Rev. Michael W. Waters is the founder and Senior Pastor of Joy Tabernacle A.M.E. Church in Dallas, Texas and was named among America’s top young leaders by Ebony Magazine. He can be contacted at pastormwaters@yahoo.com.
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