(Forty Minus One) Times Two.

"What does faithfulness of the church-community of Christ mean here other than calling out into this furious raging again and again-- unto exhaustion, unto humiliation, unto martyrdom-- the words of Christ that there should be peace, that there should be love, that there should be blessing, and that He is our peace, and that God is a God of peace? And the more they rage, the more we should call out." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

When I think of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I often find myself also thinking of Bonhoeffer. Both were, in their day, young men who noticed injustices in their communities. Both entered ministry at a young age. Both found themselves compelled by the Spirit of Christ to speak out to their communities, urging their congregants and constituents to live according to the complete, true word of God. Both men experienced imprisonment and martyrdom. Both men died at the age of thirty-nine. Both men continue to live and speak through the written words they left behind.

Both men carried a similar message to the Christian churches of their day. Their message remains. It is encapsulated in a question that was reinforced by Pastor Althea during this past Sunday's sermon: How can one claim to have love for God, yet at the same time show such disdain and hatred for one's brothers in the faith?

There is an old saying that, in the United States of America, Sunday at eleven o'clock is the most segregated hour. The face of "corporate" worship is colored by culture, class, ethnicity, education, music, and more. And we, each doing our own thing in our own corner, are quick to say that we love God deeply and exclusively. But somehow, the love wears thin when our Lord challenges us to love our brother who is unlike us. We rage over temporal things. We ignore the call to become agents of blessing. And, from time to time, our raging drives out the very people whom our Christ died to save.

Rev. Dr. King said it succinctly: It's not that people don't know how to love; it's that they lack the power to love. If we are not transformed by the Spirit of Christ, we will continue to rage over carpet colors, sermon lengths, and music volumes. Our eyes and ears will not be sensitive to the cry of the lost souls who are desperate for an encounter with the living God. And, ultimately, we will be expected to give an account of the deeds we have done. May God help us to reflect His goodness in the community, the nation, and the world.

Lord, give us the grace of Your Spirit, that we might be beacons of Light drawing others to You.