by Chris Doyle | Feb 8, 2016
Greetings!
Here’s an early Doyle’s Half Dozen, Super Bowl version, offering six takeaways from last night’s major event.
- Peyton’s Postgame Piece Piques Peculiar Pointers
Everybody is happy for Peyton Manning. I am a fan of the veteran quarterback and glad he is finishing, supposedly, his successful career on a high note. This has been an odd season for Manning, as he has looked every bit of a well-seasoned signal caller who is on his proverbial last leg.
Manning is always gracious when he does interviews. I appreciate how he will address the reporter by name and show respect, even when the outcome of the game doesn’t turn out in his favor.
Last night, though, when Manning was asked if this were the final game of his career, he tried to put on the witty charm, but his script caused some mixed reviews.
He said he wanted to kiss his wife, hug his kids and drink a lot of beer, and then he said he will say a prayer and thank the man upstairs. The conservative Christian in me bristled when I heard this. Many claimed it sounded like a line from a weak Country song.
On a night when one of the most popular Super Bowl commercials features Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirran offering a witty oratory against drunk driving, Manning gives off the impression he’s guzzling down the very product Mirran is promoting, yet with cautious parameters. And then to not refer to God directly, rather using a worn-out adage instead, did not warm every heart.
However, Manning still comes across as a loving husband and a caring father. The beer comments had a light-hearted flair, and Manning has never been known as someone who openly professes his faith, so for him to even colloquially acknowledge God is better than offering flowing pharisaical praise and not living a reflective lifestyle.
- Newton’s a No-Go on Graciousness
Cam Newton’s day was not a happy one. He and his Carolina Panthers had a rough outing, and then the NFL MVP gave a pouty performance in his postgame press conference.
Newton has already received deserving criticism. I think Deon Sanders summed it up perfectly:
“You are the face of our brand right now, you can’t do that,” the Hall of Fame cornerback said. “I understand the emotions of losing, but you can’t do that. A Manning, a Brady … all these guys who are a prototypical type of quarterback in our game, they’re not going to do that ever. Would Drew Brees ever?
“You’re opening yourself for more criticism. Because everybody is going to say you’re dabbing and smiling and smiling and styling. So this is how you go out when you lose?”
Always show respect for your opponent and always be gracious whether you win or lose. Sanders was right to criticize Newton regarding the quarterback’s popular antics after a touchdown, and then to act like an immature child on the biggest stage can only hinder his reputation.
- Commercial Clamor
You probably have your favorite Super Bowl commercial picked out. I was a fan of the sheep singing Queen.
One of the more polarizing commercials was the Doritos ad of the couple having an ultrasound procedure. There’s the goofy expecting dad eating Doritos while the expecting mom gets on to him during the procedure. Their pre-born child reacts to dad moving a Dorito chip. It’s extremely silly with a bizarre early delivery.
I knew this would get the abortion supporters up in arms. And it definitely did. One response involved the phrase “humanizing a fetus.” I can never get the ridiculousness of such callous thinking in regards to the sanctity of life.
Two articles give excellent perspective responding to this outcry. Read them here and here.
And Russell Moore just released his take of the response. Loved these comments:
“The ad didn’t ‘humanize’ the ‘fetus,’ God did.”
“We cannot ‘humanize’ what is already human, but we can certainly dehumanize the humanity around, or within, us.”
- Halftime Alternative
Another favorite post-Super Bowl topic is the halftime show. I’m not going to go into controversy surrounding this year’s halftime festivities. Instead I want to give credence to the men’s ministry with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma producing a halftime show featuring Bubba Burcham and Kenyatta and Abraham Wright.
I wrote about the production prior to the Super Bowl, and you can read the article here.
After checking responses from Facebook friends, there seems to be a few groups who watched the 20-minute presentation. And it’s still available and relevant for any small groups. Go to www.menrewired.com to find out more.
- Other Broncos Offer God Praise – Directly
Though I scrutinized Peyton Manning’s “man upstairs” comment, there are many other Bronco players who gave God praise and thanks.
Read this piece and check out the tweets from DeMarcus Ware, Max Garcia, Virgil Green and Vance Walker.
- Lady Gaga Does It Right
I end this DHD talking about the opening of the Super Bowl. Lady Gaga was chosen to sing the national anthem this year, and the pop star did an exceptional job.
I am one who believes the National Anthem should be sung in such a way that the song itself is the focus more than the performer. And THEN, when done in such a way, the performer deserves a good review.
Even Gaga herself believes this. She was quoted saying performing “The Star Spangled Banner” is one of her highest honors.
“I have to live up to a song that stands the test of time,” she said. “I think the best way to do that is kind of forget about yourself and just focus on what it means.”
Good job, Gaga, good job!
by Chris Doyle | Feb 5, 2016
Greetings!
Remember last week what I said would happen? It came to fruition – another busy-but-fun week. Boy howdy, it definitely was busy, but there were elements that made it fun too.
I’ll explain in a few of my topics in this week’s Doyle’s Half Dozen.
- A Raucous Iowa Caucus
Days have gone by since the fascinating night last Monday, when the Iowa caucus, the first state election of the year, occurred. Democrats are basically in a tie, while the Republicans ended its voting in the Hawkeye State in an unexpected ranking.
Hillary will milk that .2 percent of a meager lead, but when it comes down to winning six coin flips, I think that’s a pretty weak fashion to decide who should be the leader of the free world.
Cruz should be happy. The Donald should be bummed. And yes, I’m with the many who believe Iowa is a good sign for Rubio. The Florida senator finished a close third, and the reason this is a good sign for Rubio is he appears to be running a much “cleaner” campaign compared to both Cruz and Trump. What this means is those who were drawn to other candidates may find Rubio more favorable. Both Rand Paul and Rick Santorum announced they are dropping out of the race, and Santorum is joining Rubio’s camp. I doubt Paul will make such a decision.
New Hampshire is next up, which is a totally different climate, and the Granite State has an open primary, which means they can vote for any candidate regardless of party affiliation. With that in mind, the result could render another unexpected count. In fact, I will go so far to say that Cruz will not win New Hampshire and may even finish further down the list, even possibly fourth, as Christie appears to appeal to NH voters.
And Bernie should win NH easily. But Hillary will start collecting wins in South Carolina, possibly Nevada and the following state primaries.
- A Peek of the Creek
Falls Creek had a special ceremony this week, dedicating two new facilities on the grounds, including the Thompson Family Lodge and the Mathena Family Event Center. Both the Lodge and the Event Center give Falls Creek a new persona.
And it’s not just about the summer slate that has change. Falls Creek has definitely gone beyond the days of sweating in an open air tabernacle or sitting on hard wooden benches in pavilions for morning Bible studies.
Falls Creek will be a year-round getaway location for everybody. That may cause you to laugh, but I’m not kidding. The lodge is up to scale with any nice motel accommodations, and the event center is equipped to handle any kind of group function. It’s not the usual church cabin dorm bunk and community shower stalls.
If you want to experience the new look at Falls Creek, consider going to either the men’s or women’s retreats in April. Go to www.bgco.org for more information about either retreat.
- Rose Day Revisited, Part I
Tuesday was my trip to Falls Creek, and Wednesday was spent at the Capitol for the annual Rose Day pro-life rally. This is always a great experience, especially for those who are committed to supporting the sanctity of life. You can read my story about Rose Day I wrote for the Baptist Messenger here.
The morning begins with participants visiting their respective state senators and representatives and providing them roses. As simple of a process this is, and has been practiced for years, it doesn’t get old for me. I ask Rose Day participants if they mind me following them to get a picture of them offering roses, and they usually allow me to tag along.
One funny, cute story, this one lady asked me, “What am I supposed to say when I give them the rose?”
Her question caught me off guard, but with the first thing that came to my brain, I told her, “Well, just say, ‘Thank you for your leadership, and I hope you will consider voting pro-life.’”
The lady just beamed. “Wow, that’s great! Thank you!” she exclaimed, acting as though I came up with the most brilliant speech.
She followed the script, and the visit to her senator’s office was the usual pleasant exchange.
- Rose Day Revisited, Part II
I thought about blogging on the rally itself, but you can read about that in my other story. Though I will say the highlight of that event was seeing Violet Hobbs, daughter of my friend and Messenger editor Brian Hobbs, being presented to the rally attendees from the House Chamber floor. The dress she wore could not have been more perfect for the occasion. Click on the above link to see a photo.
Instead of the rally, I want to share about the comments and exchanges I had with Rose Day participants. I heard some great stories from people, and they came from all over the state to be at the Capitol. A couple of ladies told me about a flower distributor offered free roses to hand out for Rose Day. That’s quite an offer because fresh cut roses are not cheap.
Other people came by the Baptist Messenger display table and shared how much they appreciate reading the Messenger. It’s always encouraging to hear this. One lady in particular made her first appearance at Rose Day this year, but she made it a point to tell us she first learned about Rose Day years ago from reading about it in the Messenger.
I confess, there have been moments when I thought the Messenger editorial staff is just going through the motions and “slapping stuff on pages,” never considering the impact a story may have on somebody. Then I visit with readers and realize how wrong I was whenever I thought that way.
This year’s Rose Day provided such a reminder. I don’t think such apathetic thoughts anymore.
- My not-movie review on 13 Hours
We have a policy regarding reviews for R-rated movies on WordSlingers, which is we don’t offer them unless it is to denounce such film if it portrays an unacceptable message.
So, this is not a movie review, but I did go see 13 Hours, the popular movie about the tragic incident that happened in Benghazi on Sept. 12, 2012. Since it’s not a movie review I will neither admit nor deny that I enjoyed it. But my wife thought it was fascinating.
All I will say, regarding how this movie relates to Hillary Clinton, who was Secretary of State at the time of the Benghazi attack, which led to the killing of a U.S. ambassador and others, is it could be possible for those who support her presidential candidacy to continue doing so after watching this film, since Clinton is not mentioned at all.
Those who watch this movie and have a problem with Clinton could leave the movie angry. And those who have no idea what Benghazi is about could receive an education. If they are willing to connect the proverbial dots as far as how our country’s ambassadors represent us abroad and are assigned by the Secretary of State’s office, it could cause many to have a negative perspective of those who are ultimately responsible.
That’s all I got to say about that.
- Thunder update
The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming off an exciting win Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic. The ending was almost a blur for me because I was planning in my mind for this game to go into overtime, but then Kevin Durant hits a three with .5 seconds left on the clock to win the game. If you can’t be entertained after watching this game you have a serious problem.
Two more things regarding the Thunder. First, don’t get caught up in this free agency talk about Durant. Writers and commentators have to make money, and that’s all they are doing by talking about Durant this way. Nobody knows what KD is going to do after the season is over, but the reports will continue anyway.
Second, the Thunder face their most significant game of the season this Saturday. They finally battle the Golden State Warriors who are playing out of their minds this season. I’m still convinced the Thunder would have won the NBA title last year, had they not been affected by all the major injuries, instead of Golden State.
So this game has my curiosity. Both KD and Russell Westbrook are healthy and playing very well. Can the team do enough to defend the Warriors’ incredible perimeter offense? That’s the key question. We will find out Saturday night.
by Chris Doyle | Jan 29, 2016
Greetings!
As I am writing on this Friday morning, the sun is shining, and it appears we have the makings of a nice day of weather. I know this sounds like a broken record, but I am finishing another busy-but-fun week. I’ll cover a good portion of what made this week both busy and fun in my first two topics, but I should warn you of something else. Expect me to say I will have another busy but fun week next week. That’s all I will say for now.
Let’s get to this week’s DHD!
- Great speakers at SEC
On Monday and Tuesday this week, the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (which by the way, if you never figured it out, this is the organization [BGCO] that supports cooperating Southern Baptist churches across the state, which consists of more than 1,800 churches) hosted the Oklahoma Baptist State Evangelism Conference (SEC) at First Southern Baptist Church in Del City, Okla. This is probably the biggest event the BGCO puts on annually, featuring well-known Christian speakers and great musical groups.
I did not get an official count of how many attended the six different sessions during this two-day event. It has been unofficially noted that more than 2,000 came to the SEC. I will speculate there were even more during the Monday evening service. First Southern has a large sanctuary with something like a 4,000-seat capacity, and the ground floor was completely packed with many seated on the balcony level. Though I’m not an official “nose-counter,” I would guess there were somewhere around 2,500-3000 attending that night.
A big reason for the large draw is many wanted to hear keynote speaker Lee Strobel. This was my first time to hear the well-known apologist and author in person. Strobel is an exceptional story teller, and the majority of his stories involve him sharing the Gospel with people. With his deep Chicago accent, Lee makes you feel like he’s your friend when he talks. He relates well to his audience, and he has a way to motivate Christians to witness, even if they are not actively doing so. If you ever have a chance to hear Lee Strobel speak, I encourage you to take that opportunity.
And there were other fantastic speakers. Dennis Swanberg was incredibly hilarious. Sean McDowell, son of Josh McDowell the internationally-known author and apologetics expert, gave a challenging yet needed message, helping his audience understand what modern day unbelievers think about Christians. Alvin Reid and Johnny Hunt were also among the cast of great speakers.
Overall, it was a great event, and I commend Mike Napier, BGCO personal evangelism specialist, and his assistant Bettsy for the SEC having such great success.
- Great moments with friends at SEC
Something else that’s special about events like this is the opportunity to reconnect with friends across the state. I have had the privilege of meeting some of the best people, really anywhere, but definitely in Oklahoma, and I enjoy even the brief moments to say hello to friends during these times.
One moment in particular, and I had many this week, was getting to talk with Robert and Fay Griffin. This is the sweetest couple who have touched many different people in Baptist work over the years, and if not them directly, their sons Dale and Ray have impacted even more people, so you have to give Robert and Fay some credit for raising two Godly men who are doing great stuff in their respective ministries.
About a year and a half ago, Robert had a major heart attack. It was so severe, nobody expected him to recover. He was literally on his death bed, so everybody thought, when I heard the news. I remember praying for Robert with great tears. God heard my prayers and the prayers of others and healed Robert. If you were to see him now, you never would have thought Robert experienced a widowmaker heart attack, which experts say has less than a 50 percent chance of survival.
Robert told me he now volunteers at a local hospital. He meets with other heart attack victims and offers them prayer and encouragement.
- Jerry Jr.’s Trump endorsement
Like many others this week, I heard the news of Liberty University president Jerry Falwell, Jr. endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. As an LU alum, I am disappointed. I have skepticism about Mr. Trump as president and don’t believe he sincerely represents my views on important moral issues.
Falwell did offer an explanation for his endorsement on Facebook. He spoke plainly and said he understood people disagreeing with this action. His reasons for endorsing Trump were clear, and I do understand where Falwell is coming from. He mentioned the former days at LU when the school was on the edge of bankruptcy. As a former LU employee during this time, I remember well this poor financial condition and even faced my own paycheck bouncing. Falwell knew what to say to reach the ranks of LU affiliates, and I believe he is sincere when he says he believes our country is facing an even greater financial crisis. I understand what he and his father experienced pleading with financial supporters, and I also understand why he thinks Trump could be somebody who can do a similar act to solve today’s economy.
Unfortunately, I believe Falwell is misguided. I believe our country has a much greater moral problem than an economic problem, even as great as a problem that is. From what I have heard from Trump’s campaign, I am not convinced the successful businessman completely supports my views.
I say this with respect and don’t intend to vilify Jerry Falwell, Jr. because I believe he has good intentions, even though his intentions are wrong. I could elaborate more, but I have three more topics to cover in this week’s DHD.
- Trevin trumps Trump’s motives on abortion
Since I was wordy in the previous three topics, I will be brief on this one and lead you to Trevin Wax’s take on Donald Trump’s response of now being pro-life after being adamantly pro-choice just a few years ago.
Wax gives an excellent perception on why Trump does not “correspond with the pro-life ethic” in his piece “The problem with Trump’s change of heart on abortion.”
- CMP on trial
Soon after I completed last week’s DHD, I get word about two members of the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) being indicted by a grand jury for their involvement in exposing Planned Parenthood’s practice of selling aborted baby parts. David Daleiden is the top CMP spokesperson and the mastermind behind the famous videos and is the lead defendant in this indictment. Though there is much to analyze in this legal matter, I still believe good will come out of this for Daleiden, CMP and others who believe Planned Parenthood needs to end its immoral practices against the sanctity of life.
Joe Carter offers a thorough FAQ piece that explains the details of this grand jury indictment.
- Another great piece on Chick-Fil-A
Last week, I shared a great story of a Chick-Fil-A restaurant helping families to connect with each other during meals, away from their smart devices.
I conclude this week’s DHD with another great story I read on Facebook involving a father and his daughter while they were eating at Chick-Fil-A. Be encouraged!
From JoeynKaren Mustain’s Facebook page:
I took Stella to Chick-fil-A today. It’s our normal daddy/daughter spot. It’s clean, so good, and the playground has a tractor beam on her the moment she sees it.
When we finished eating and she’d worked up her dessert appetite playing with the other kids, we went back to trade in her toy for ice cream. She wanted to sit at a table to eat the cone (something we usually do in the truck), and I’m so glad she did.
We took a booth right next to the spot where you wait for your drink to be “refreshed,” and we had a front row seat to this beautiful scene: a homeless traveler had walked in and asked if they had any extra food.
Mud was wet and caked on his well-traveled shoes. His hair was matted, and his beard wasn’t a statement as much as it was a necessity and a sign that he doesn’t get to shave as often as most of us do. People near him kept their distance, but that didn’t stop him from being kind. He spoke to people who reluctantly spoke back, and he smiled while he waited on a manager.
All I could pick up on of the conversation was the manager saying that he’d love to give him a full, warm meal–not just scraps or extras–, and the only thing he required was that the man let him pray with him. After the homeless man agreed, there was no waiting for things to die down, there was no scooting anyone to the side. As busy as they were, the manager stopped then and there, laid his hand on the man, and proceeded to pray. I heard love in that prayer.
The homeless man wasn’t some untouchable stain on business. He was the reason that store opened its doors this morning (or any morning).
I asked Stella to watch and she stared. She asked what was happening and when I told her, she bowed her head, too. I realized then and there that Chick-fil-A doesn’t simply do business for profits, they truly use business to minister.
In a time when companies are trying to win in the market by neutralizing any possibility of offense, CFA is thriving because they unwaveringly cling to their principles and purpose. I love teaching my daughter life lessons, and I also love being there to watch other Christians teach her life lessons. Thank you, Chick-fil-A, for taking care of the latter today.
by Chris Doyle | Jan 22, 2016
Greetings!
We started the week observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and we end the week with the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. We honored a man who pursued freedom for all people, regardless of race, and we remember a ruling that took away the right of life for the unborn.
On Monday, WordSlingers re-published my DHD from last year on Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” In today’s DHD, some of my topics reflect an overcoming aspect of the results of Roe v. Wade, talking about people and events that have helped shaped the culture in understanding the sanctity of life, especially for the unborn.
- Lankford, a Pro-Life Leader
From left, Senator James Lankford, ERLC President Russell Moore and Focus on the Family President Jim Daly
On Thursday, Jan. 21, Sen. James Lankford received the 2016 Pro-Life Public Service Award. This inaugural award was jointly presented by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and Focus on the Family, as both organizations hosted the first-ever Evangelicals for Life Conference, in Washington, D.C.
I have commented on Lankford before, and I still believe he is one of the leading politicians who is making a difference in regards to the sanctity of life. His speech on the Senate floor soon after the first release of what would be a series of videos revealing the heinous practices of Planned Parenthood is monumental, and he has spoken since then with similar vigor, wisdom and clarity. His latest talk in the Senate was this week, and it was masterful. As you can view below.
https://www.facebook.com/SenatorLankford/videos/1024822620913393/?video_source=pages_finch_main_video&theater
He also co-wrote an article with Sen. Ben Sasse titled “Pro-Life Movement: Progress is on Our Side” in the National Review.
Congratulations Sen. Lankford! No one deserves this award more than you!
- Daleiden is debriefed
David Daleiden also made an appearance at the Evangelicals for Life Conference as one of the first speakers at the event. The lead investigator for Center for Medical Progress was responsible for the production work of the videos revealing PP’s practiced, and he participated in a Q&A session with Russell Moore, president of ERLC, and Focus on the Family president Jim Daly.
The session was great. I enjoyed listening to this 27-year-old explain why he led the charge to make it publicly known that PP was harvesting and selling aborted baby parts.
Moore asked him about the lying aspect of his undercover work of making the videos and was he making morality relative by doing so. Here is Daleiden’s response:
“I think that undercover work is actually fundamentally different from lying because the purpose of undercover work is actually to serve the truth and to bring the truth to greater clarity and to communicate the truth more strongly. Certainly in normal everyday life we don’t always communicate the truth by a simple, one-equals-one mathematical equation way of speaking. We often use poetry and metaphor and acting and even pretext in order to communicate really important truth in a more clear way. Our Lord did that in the Gospels with the parables. It’s often done throughout the Holy Scriptures, so I see undercover work in the same way as a creative speaking that is of the service of the truth.”
I’m still processing Daleiden’s remarks. Please know that I support Daleiden and CMP and commend his efforts involved in doing these videos and firmly believe this undercover work is defensible. My initial thought would be that Daleiden should have stopped at the first two, maybe three, sentences. When he compared his undercover work to Jesus sharing parables, my head turned sideways.
If he were going to use the Bible to explain his actions being morally sound and justifiable, I would have suggested the Egyptian midwives in Exodus 1:15-21 who disobeyed and deceived Pharaoh because they feared God and desired to protect the Israelite babies.
- The Latest at Liberty University
My alma mater Liberty University was in the news this week because Donald Trump spoke during Monday’s convocation at LU. Many were in stern disagreement, even some were outraged.
The criticism wasn’t directly for Trump speaking on campus. Over the years, LU has invited public personalities who don’t seem to align with the school’s conservative Christian values to address the student body – as recently as last fall with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to the late Sen. Ed Kennedy who was on campus in the late 80s.
Instead, the disapproval was focused on the glowing remarks LU president Jerry Falwell, Jr. made about the Republican presidential candidate, which made Trump sound like a model Christian who has “born fruit.”
People I admire including Russell Moore and Denny Burk wrote proper responses objecting to the Trump presentation at Liberty.
My response? In a month from now, nobody will be discussing this.
I love Liberty University. I am proud of my educational and vocational experiences there. Most of all, LU is responsible for the many MANY great friendships I developed, with some continuing today. Even with the flaws, I’ll proudly “Fan the Flames” and sing “Let the fire in your name set the spirt aflame. Win a victory for ol’ LU!”
- A Much More Serious Concern
I learned about a list of countries that ranked the worst in Christian persecution. Open Doors USA is a ministry focused on serving persecuted Christians around the world and is responsible for the ranking. Here are the top 10 worst countries:
- North Korea
- Iraq
- Eritrea
- Afghanistan
- Syria
- Pakistan
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Iran
- Libya
I would like to ask you right now if you would pray for the Christians in these 10 countries. If you want to know more about Open Doors and this list of countries where Christians are persecuted, visit www.worldwatchlist.us
- Chick-Fil-A Helps Families Talk to Each Other During Meal
A friend of mine shared the following photo of a Chick-Fil-A, possibly in South Carolina, that has an ingenuous project that encourages families to put away their mobile devices while eating and talk to each other:
I would encourage other CFA restaurants, and other eateries, to follow this lead.
- Thunder Update
At the time of writing this DHD, the Oklahoma City Thunder will face the Dallas Mavericks this evening. This could be an interesting match-up, based on what resulted the last time the two NBA teams met in OKC. Sparkplug guard J.J. Berea got under Russell Westbrook’s skin, which eventually led to the all-pro guard’s ejection.
I think the Thunder have greater rivalries, but the Mavericks are not that far down the list. If OKC pulls off the win tonight, this will be another marker-type victory that may gauge how much the Thunder are improving.
I will also be curious to see if Kyle Singler continues to progress. His last few game performances have been noticeably impressive, including last Wednesday against Charlotte when he came off the bench to score 11 points with three three-pointers.
Be encouraged Thunder fans!
by Chris Doyle | Jan 18, 2016
Today we observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and I wanted to re-print what I discovered after reading Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” I originally wrote this for last year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, but this written message is worth studying again.
You can find a transcript of the letter here. Do yourself a favor and take some time today to read King’s entire letter. See how his message is still relevant today.
Here are six aspects to consider from the letter. Please know there is much more to ponder.
1. The Gospel is mentioned four times.
King compares his mission to Paul’s as he wrote, “…and just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city… I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular hometown.”
He mentions Paul and the Gospel again when defending himself as an extremist, “Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ? – ‘I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.’”
The fourth time was near the conclusion when he declares the South will recognize its real heroes, who King describes in a list of heroic pioneers, including “young ministers of the gospel.”
2. Religious liberty is emphasized
When writing on the topic of civil disobedience and using Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as Biblical examples, King describes living in a Communist country “where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed.” He said he would “openly advocate disobeying these anti-religious laws.”
3. King’s disappointment with the “white moderate”
“Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”
This reminds me of Rev. 3:16 that mentions Jesus writing to lukewarm Christians. King considers white moderates to be of similar status, as the “great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom” and not the “Ku Klux Klanner.”
4. Thoughts on the “contemporary church”
King points out a time when The Church was “very powerful. It was during that period that the early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed.”
I love the analogy he uses of the Church needing to be a “thermostat that transformed the mores of society” and “not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion.”
He said, “Things are different now. The contemporary church is so often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound… If the church of today does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authentic ring, forfeit the loyalty of missions and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. I meet young people every day whose disappointment with the church has risen to outright disgust.”
5. Do-nothingism vs. Hatred and Despair
King shares some interesting thoughts about two opposing forces in the “Negro community.” One force, he writes, demonstrates complacency of people who “have been so completely drained of self-respect… have adjusted to segregation… become insensitive to the problems of the masses.”
The other force represents “bitterness and hatred and comes perilously close to advocating violence.” King names a specific group called “Elijah Muhammad’s Muslim movement.” He writes that this group is “made up of people who have … absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incurable devil.”
King stresses the importance of nonviolent demonstrations because if the opposite occurs “millions of Negroes, out of frustration and despair, will seek solace and security in black nationalist ideologies, a development that will lead inevitably to a frightening racial nightmare.”
6. Humor expressed in his conclusion
The next-to-last paragraph has some intriguing language. Keep in mind, King is writing this lengthy letter from a jail cell. I appreciate his humility and the details he shares of his conditions.
“Never before have I written a letter this long – or should I say a book? I’m afraid that it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else is there to do when you are alone for days in the dull monotony of a narrow jail cell other than write long letters, think strange thoughts, and pray long prayers?”
I am hopeful Dr. King did more praying than thinking strange thoughts.
