Today is the nationally-recognized holiday dedicated to the memory of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (even though his actual birthday is January 15th). And it has been nearly 2 years since I began blogging about my convictions regarding peace and nonviolence at TanksToTractors.org. I'd like to take this opportunity to reflect on King's memory.

As a white male far too young to have been directly affected by the Civil Rights movement and the struggle for freedom by African Americans in the US, I'm deeply disturbed by the apathy the older Christian generation shows toward the writings and thought of Martin Luther King, Jr. His life, action, writings, and thought is often reflected upon fondly, and he is even often called a "hero" by many. But equally as often the most important and provocative aspects of King are suppressed in favor of a 'kinder, gentler' version. Perhaps it is easier for older, white males to pretend King didn't directly call them to account and challenged them profoundly. Perhaps it is easier for non-believers to discount the fact that his deep convictions of peace and justice were derived directly from his Christian faith. Perhaps it is easier for us all to forget a time in our nation that we are ashamed of, because it reminds us all of the darkest parts of human nature. Nevertheless, such white-washing of King's memory is deeply disrespectful and disgusting.

Let us never forget:

King's life and thought was radical! 
King's life and thought was provocative! 
King's life and thought was Christian!

Often, one of the most neglected aspects of King's life and thought was his avid opposition to war. King did not just employ nonviolence as a strategy in the struggle for equal rights. King abhorred violence of any kind as a follower of Jesus Christ. It may not be in vogue to cite King's pacifism, but it remains an intrinsic aspect of his life and thought:

"In the terrible midnight of war men have knocked on the door of the church to ask for the bread of peace, but the church has often disappointed them. What more pathetically reveals the irrelevancy of the church in present-day world affairs than its witness regarding war? In a world gone mad with arms buildups, chauvinistic passions, and imperialistic explorations, the church has either endorsed these activities or remained appallingly silent. During the last two world wars, national churches even functioned as the ready lackeys of the state, sprinkling holy water upon the battleships and joining the mighty armies in singing, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." A weary world, pleading desperately for peace, has often found the church morally sanctioning war." 
- The Strength to Love (1963)

"Violence brings only temporary victories; violence, by creating many more social problems than it solves, never bring permanent peace. … A voice, echoing through the corridors of time, says to every intemperate Peter, "Put up thy sword." History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations that failed to follow Christ's command" 
- The Strength to Love (1963)

"During recent months I have come to see more and more the need for the method of nonviolence in international relations. …more and more I have come to the conclusion that the potential destructiveness of modern weapons of war totally rules out the possibility of war ever serving again as a negative good. If we assume that mankind has a right to survive then we must find an alternative to war and destruction. …The choice today is no longer between violence and nonviolence. It is either nonviolence or nonexistence. …I am convinced that the church cannot remain silent while mankind faces the threat of being plunged into the abyss of nuclear annihilation. If the church is true to its mission it must call for an end to the arms race." 
- Pilgrimage to Nonviolence (1960)

"When I first took a stand against the war in Vietnam, the critics took me on and they had their say in the most negative and sometimes most vicious way. One day a newsman came to me and said, 'Dr. King, don’t you think you’re going to have to stop, now, opposing the war and move more in line with the administration’s policy? As I understand it, it has hurt the budget of your organization, and people who once respected you have lost respect for you. Don’t you feel that you’ve really got to change your position?' I looked at him and I had to say, '...I’m not a consensus leader. I do not determine what is right and wrong by looking at the budget of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference...' Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus... There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right. I believe today that there is a need for all people of goodwill to come with a massive act of conscience and say in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "We ain’t goin’ study war no more."
- "Remaining Awake Through A Great Revolution " (1968)