Jasmine's Reviews > Strength to Love

Strength to Love is a compilation of sermons by Dr. King that includes many of the quotes by him that are circulated on MLK day and throughout the year. These sermons provide a necessary context for each quote. They reveal Dr. King’s commitment to eliminating racial injustice and economic injustice. They reveal his disapproval of police brutality and poverty. They reveal the man who called on the church to address racism and segregation within its own walls and in communities across the country through social action. Today, this Dr. King, who was disliked by many, is often erased from conversations and lessons on his legacy.

In contrast to erasing Dr. King’s commentary on racial and economic injustice, the opposite trend I’ve seen people adopt when discussing Dr. King’s legacy is separating him from his faith in God. While the quotes that are circulated on MLK day and throughout the year are inspiring to Christians and non-Christians, it is important to remember that they are inspired by the Bible, rooted in Dr. King’s faith in Christ, and a product of his relationship with the Lord. Simply put, Dr. King wouldn’t be Dr. King without his faith in God. In an essay entitled “Pilgrimage to Nonviolence” discussing the Civil Rights Movement’s Non-Violent approach, Dr. King said: “Christ furnished the spirit and motivation and Gandhi furnished the method.”

In his sermon titled “God Is Able,” Dr. King describes how after receiving threats for weeks, he began to realize that the threats were in “earnest.” One night, he answered his phone and an angry person said: “‘Listen, n*gger, we’ve taken all we want from you. Before next week you’ll be sorry you ever came to Montgomery.'” After hanging up, Dr. King says he reached “the saturation point” and that “all his fears had come down on him at once.” In his immense fear, he decided to “take the problem to God,” praying: “‘I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.'”

He continues, saying: “At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never before experienced him. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice, saying, ‘Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth. God will be at your side forever.’ Almost at once my fears began to pass from me. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything. The outer situation remained the same, but God had given me inner calm. Three nights later, our home was bombed. Strangely enough, I accepted the word of the bombing calmly. My experience with God had given me a new strength and trust. I knew now that God is able to give us the interior resources to face the storms and problems of life.”

Strength to Love reveals that, like Harriet Tubman, Dr. King’s faith in God was vital to His success as a minister and a champion for the eradication of poverty and racial injustice. His faith in God– in spite of persecution, threats, ridicule, and mocking– is inspiring and serves as a reminder to me, as a Christian, that God is indeed able.