I have never been one who read sermons. Sermons were intended to be preached, not written. The exception to this are the sermons preached by The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His sermons (some of which I have also seen as newsreels) are moving in either format.
The collection of sermons most meaningful to me are those grouped together in his The Strength to Love collection.
Pastor King experienced the hatred of those who opposed him. He knew how it felt to be called names and to be physically attacked. There were earlier attempts to harm or murder him prior to the gun shot which took his life. He spoke to a segment of the population who had also experienced outpouring of hatred.
And yet, as he spoke, he spoke of the strength to love.
Hatred only leads to more hatred. The only way to solve hatred is to begin to love. In an situation where everyone is angry and yelling, it is the one who loves who begins to provide a resolution.
For Pastor King, it was the divisions of race that exposed the hatred. There remain such divisions today and there are far too many who continue to "hate" purely because of skin color. There have emerged hatreds in recent years over religious differences, and cultural divisions.
It takes a great strength to love - to love our enemies. It is easier (and thus the route most often taken) to return hatred with hatred.
On this ML King, Jr. holiday, pray for the strength to hear God's call to love our enemies and pray for those who oppose us. Hear the reminder of God's servant, that until we love, we will never overcome hatred.
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