MLK: The Voice Crying Out in the Wilderness
Kenneth R. Jenkins
It has been now 56 years since the voice of the “Apostle of Non-Violence” that has been silent, but his words have continued to ring out through the portals of history.
Like John the Baptist, he was the one crying out in the wilderness of segregation and injustice through the peaceful means of nonviolence.
The cry of injustice was very forthcoming, very notable and very real as racial tension grew more and more especially down South as it spread like a very large and raging wildfire. But like fire that pure, this fire destroys every fiber and every being.
It took the collective of clergy, men, women and children to bring down these injustices and placing it right at the feet of those who supposed to uphold the laws of the land making them responsible.
You can hear him tell the people, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” a reminder to the people of the wrong of what injustice does to all of us. There’s no threat to those who do those things, just a reminder of how injustice can hurt people.
Nonviolence was the tool to unarm the threat of violence in a world that would insight violence and burn down the bridges of love and peace making it a collision course that would no doubt come back dangerously harmful for those seeking a better way towards peace.
As we celebrate the birth of the “apostle of peace and nonviolence”, let us be mindful of why he lived to die for so that we come to this point.
We still have a long way to go, but we still come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord.
Keep the dream alive….
Kenneth R. Jenkins is a freelance writer, poet, author, minister and devoted husband living in Savannah Georgia.
