But those of us who lived through the turbulent '60's will recall that King was anything but universally beloved during his lifetime. Many whites called him an agitator and a divisive figure. Even some white religious leaders who considered themselves "liberal" (or in today's terms, "progressive") felt he was pushing too hard for civil rights, and should be more patient with the pace of social change (see King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail - his brilliant and heartfelt response to his white brethren). On the other hand, more militant black activists criticized him for being too accommodating to the white power structure.
I prefer to think of Dr. King as a prophet, in the tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). To prophesy in the scriptural sense does not mean to foretell the future, at least not directly. The prophet's job is to "speak truth to power," usually meaning to the king or another authority figure who represents the people. Usually this truth is not welcome, so the prophet risks his safety and sometimes his life in order to respond to God's call.
Jeremiah was a prophet in Judea during the sixth century B.C.E. He warned the people that their idolatry and disobedience of God would lead to their destruction and exile, which it eventually did in 587. But could Jeremiah see into the future? Perhaps only in the sense that we can predict the consequences of a certain course of action; for example, when we say, "If you don't quit that smoking, it's going to ruin your health!" The English word jeremiad refers to a complaint or diatribe.
Dr. King must have understood Jeremiah's description of the burden of being a prophet:
Whenever I speak, I must cry out; violence and outrage is my message.
The word of the Lord has brought me dirision and reproach all the day.
I say to myself, I will not mention him; I will speak his name no more.
But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it. (Jer 20:8-9)
There must have been times when Rev. King wished he could just go back to being a preacher with a small congregation. But like Jeremiah, he had been called and he had to speak for justice. He had a gift for using biblical language which was understood by Southerners, both black and white. This language spoke to the hopes and dreams of black people and the consciences of white people. He received many threats over the years, and always the shadow of death was not far away. In one speech he talked about what he would like people to say about him after his death. Referring to the fact that he was a drum major in his college band, he said,
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. He was there to support striking sanitation workers. The night before his death he gave a speech in which he used rich scriptural language to compare himself to the first great prophet, Moses:
Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!
After his death, many interpreted this speech as a "premonition." But I don't think Dr. King had any supernatural knowledge that he would die the next day. I believe he simply understood that death is a risk for every prophet, and knowing that, he still answered the call.
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