Time can be both a frustrating and hopeful space. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a visionary in a multitude of ways, but it’s his view of “time” that I reflect upon this year. In his last sermon at Washington National Cathedral, March 31, 1968, and in his last speech in Memphis, April 3, 1968, you hear how King draws out the complexity of this idea of “time.” On one hand, he calls for immediate action and change, and yet on the other, he acknowledges that the journey may be long and arduous before we reach its fulfillment. As he stood in the pulpit on what would be his last sermon, looking out at all who had gathered for worship, he declared a truth, that I firmly believe, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” In looking back, in the nearly 55 years since he gave that sermon, it’s painful to see that we haven’t progressed further and are still wrestling with the realities that Dr. King rose to stand against, that of injustice, oppression, inequality, and racism. Even though some monumental achievements had been made by the time he gave this sermon; we find Dr. King reminds us that the work was still needed.
In his final speech days later, the night before he was assassinated at Mason Temple in Memphis, we hear him speak of his own tiredness in the fight for justice and how the weight of his calling that laid upon him was heavy. He hauntingly said, “…And He’s (God) 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”. Evoking the image of Moses upon Mt. Nebo and recognizing that the journey had much further to go, Dr. King saw what the future could look like. One where people stood together united for justice, compassion and dignity. He knew then that it would not come easy but invited others to not lose hope and to encourage them to push onward.
Each year MLK Day is a twofold reminder of the progress we’ve made, and the work yet left to be done. We are uniquely positioned as the Presbytery of Philadelphia, gifted with our congregations and opportunities to be prayer partners, ministry partners and conversation partners across the divides we seek to bridge. Even though these relationships at times might be challenging, our faith tells us that engaging in them can bear much fruit. We should not let our tiredness and disappointments hold fast but instead seek courage to continue onward, together into the promised land. I leave you with these words, of a new generation, echoing Dr. King’s vision and calling us forward.
“In this truth, in this faith we trust, for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.
This is the era of just redemption.
We feared at its inception.
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour.
But within it we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves.
So, while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe, now we assert, how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?”
– Excerpt from “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman
