Among Dr. King’s many remarkable attributes and accomplishments, his consistently non-violent attitude will always stand out to me as the most wondrous. As a Christian minister, to preach the importance of nonviolence is practically required, but how often do Christians hold fast to these ideals as Dr. King did? He continued to believe even when the challenge was greatest, and he persevered with his Christian ideals until the bitter end. I think that his own understanding of himself, within his own Christian context, is also critical in understanding how he maintained such an important presence.
In “I See the Promised Land,” Dr. King very clearly draws distinct parallels between himself and the Old Testament figure of Moses. As a Christian minister, he would have been intimately familiar with the story of Moses and the Promised Land of Israel, and he understood that the similarities were uncanny. Dr. King, when faced with such extreme resistance, must have realized that he may not see the day of equal rights himself. Instead, he claims, he will lead others to the treasure that he couldn’t have, and show them the way that was shown to him by God. It is important to note that Dr. King understood this parallel himself, and was so confident in it that he presented it as one of his greatest speeches. I believe that he showed great confidence by embracing that comparison as well as great foresight regarding the struggle for racial equality.
I enjoyed the comparison you made. I think that it is fair to say that King often drew inspiration from the bible. The ideals that made up the foundation of his preaching were similar to those preached in the bible. These ideals paired with King’s vast knowledge of worldly culture, such as his emphasis on agape love, is what allowed the movement to grow strong in numbers.
I agree with your post about Dr. King’s biblical portrayal. One of the centerpieces in his persona was forgiveness and love despite the fierce opposition he faced. This love and forgiveness that King displayed to his oppositions was the real strength behind the movement because he showed where the true hate was coming from. In this sense it is a very similar comparison to many of the primary figures that we see in the Bible. Moses prayed for his enemies and Dr. King did as well. This is the type of unconditional, agape love that he always spoke of.
I appreciated your post’s recognition of the Christian ideals of Dr. King. I believe that King’s thoughts regarding the end of the Civil Rights Movement need to be fleshed out further. When committing oneself to any cause, especially using a non-violent approach, one needs to have hope. This hope that there could be an equality that leaves people with light and love was portrayed in almost all of King’s speeches, especially in “The Power of Nonviolence”.
The hope that King tried to embody and pass on to his followers was that the goal of equality could very much be achieved, contrasting from the view of radical separatists who thought that the day would never come. Telling your followers that you don’t expect results before your death would be disheartening, and would take away from the power of nonviolence and quell the strength needed to not fight back when faced with attacks in the streets or beyond.