As a God of many gifts and one Spirit, we confess that sometimes it is easier to celebrate a single prophetic voice than to honor the complex movement that produces freedom. Forgive us if, in our desire to honor our leaders, we forget or ignore all those who make change possible. Forgive us if we honor Martin Luther King Jr. while neglecting our role in making his dream a reality. By the power of the Spirit, may we meet the crises of today with his kindness and the courage of hope and join the movement for justice. Amen.
“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the “Negro National Anthem,” was first performed by 500 schoolchildren in Jacksonville, Florida, on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday in 1900. Themes of struggle, resilience, faith, and hope speak to the African American experience and the civil rights movement, and have universal significance to the broader struggle for justice.
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., it is good to remember another champion of moral courage and nonviolent resistance, Vaclav Havel. Like Dr. King, Havel became a global symbol of hope and ushered in a new era of freedom (1960s to early 2000s). While Dr. King fought racial inequality in the United States (1955-1968), Havel opposed communist totalitarianism in Czechoslovakia and endured imprisonment for peaceful disobedience.
As a playwright, dissident, and president of free Czechoslovakia, Havel embodied Martin Luther King Jr.’s teaching that nonviolent resistance rooted in moral truth can change a nation. Inspired by Thoreau’s civil disobedience and Gandhi’s nonviolence, they demonstrated that “truth shattered on earth can rise again.”
Excerpts from some of his works (see) Precautions), these statements by Havel stand out as important because they are accompanied by the original pronoun. They reflect King’s hallmark insight: his “tough gentleness.”
“Hope is a unique force in human life and is different from optimism. Optimism is based on the belief that things will work out, but hope reaches deeper. Regardless of the outcome, life It is the belief that there is meaning. The tragedy of modern man is that it is not.”He is increasingly unsure of the meaning of his life, but it troubles him less and less.
“Despite all the political tragedies I face every day, it is my deep conviction that politics itself is not dirty. Dirt can only be introduced by evil people. This is an area of human activity in which the temptation to advance through injustice is greater than in others. I agree that there is a strong possibility that human integrity is required more. But it is not true that politicians can’t help but lie and conspire. This is complete nonsense, people. is often propagated by people who want to keep them out of public affairs.
“In fact, man, like Christ on the cross, is nailed to a grid of contradictions: he cannot find a balance between the suffering of not knowing his mission and the joy of carrying it out, between nothingness and meaningfulness. And like Christ, he actually gains victory by virtue of his defeat. Perhaps he will never find meaning in life without first experiencing its absurdity.
“A person who has not lost the ability to laugh in himself or to recognize his own emptiness is not arrogant and is not an enemy of open society. person with [note: implying a lack of self-awareness, excessive seriousness, and potentially closed-mindedness that would hinder open dialogue and critical thinking].
“Life’s resistance to being fully understood or controlled is a source of rebirth. Rather than seeking total solutions, by embracing modest goals and relative progress, we can discover deeper meaning and… There is potential for change.”
God, strengthen us to endure what we must endure. Grant us the urgency of the Beloved and the patience of the Beloved. The skill and will to do the acts of peace and justice that we may be able to do. Touch our lack with your sufficiency, touch our fears with your favor, touch our needs with your grace. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
notes and reading
“We confess that sometimes it is easier to celebrate a single prophetic voice.” – Plymouth Church, United Church of Christ – Shaker Heights, Ohio. (January 19, 2025).
martin luther king jr. – David Garrow, take up the cross (1986) – Acclaimed biography that won both the Pulitzer Prize and the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award.
Vaclav Havel – Michael Jantowski, Havel: Life (2014) Jantowski knew Havel personally and served as his press secretary. This is a unique insight.
The works below are excerpted and can be accessed in multiple formats.
letter to olga (1988), disturb the peace (1991); “The Power of the Powerless” Essay (1978). Jantowski’s biography. letter to olga is one of Havel’s most important works, written during his imprisonment from June 1979 to September 1983. Context and overview: “Vaclav Havel’s ‘Letter to Olga'” Kieran D. Williams, medium (December 18, 2020).
God, strengthen us. . . – First Church in Oberlin, Ohio (1962).
Tip #172 – Take a deep breath
Source: 2 + 2 = 5 – williamgreen.substack.com
