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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1988)
Section II. January 13, 1988, Portland Observer, Page 5 Martin Luther King Celebration Monday, January 18,1988 7:30 p.m. Mallory Avenue Christian Church 126 N.E. Alberta Featuring Choirs: Bethel A.M.E. Church and Sharon Seventh Adventist Speaker: The Rev. Milton Green Sponsored by: Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Albina Ministerial Association and The Greater Portland Association of Avangelicals Ecumical Evangelicals "King Remembered" by Rev. Terry Allen Moe Redeemer Lutheran Church I was six when Martin Luther King began organizing for justice and equality for all people, prodded by the spunky witness of Rosa Parks. I was in seventh grade when he made his famous "I have a dream'' speech in Washington, D.C. I was just eighteen and not yet eligible for the draft when he was assassinated in Memphis. Since that time, I have come to know the man I didn't know in my younger years. I have come to know him through his speeches, through his writings, through what others have said and written about him. But most clearly I have come to know him in the spirit of those who continued his tradition of non violent resistance. In Jesse Jackson and Ralph Abernathy, and closer to home in Rev. John Garlington and Rev. John Jackson. And as I reflect on these people's lives, I have come to understand that Martin Luther King was caught up in a spirit great er than himself, a spirit which like a wave carried him over and through time, rolling on like the waters of justice the prophets fore saw. Martin Luther King was caught up in this Great Spirit — the same spirit which gave voice to the prophets and birthed the Savior and planted Gandhi in South Africa and India and is ours as well. It is the spirit of peace and justice, peace with justice, a spirit which shines like a beacon in the dark ness, and the darkness has not put it out. The spirit spoke so many times, but in the words Martin Luther King spoke the spirit was so clear and precise: ''To our most bitter opponents we say: 'We shall match your capa city to inflict suffering by our capa- citv to endure suffering. We shall _nmil Enemies" published in "Strength To force. Do to us what you will, Love” , Fortress Press, Philadelphia, and we shall continue to love you. We cannot in all good conscious 1963.) Since I have come to know Mar obey your unjust laws, because tin Luther King in my twenties and noncooperation with evil is as much thirties — I'm now thirty-seven, a moral obligation as is cooperation the age of Martin at his death — with good. Throw us in jail, and I feel the Great Spirit lifting others we shall still love you. Bomb our and even myself at times, lifting and homes and threaten our children, carrying us upon a great rolling rive and we shall still love you. Send your hooded perpetrators of vio of justice. Though at times it seems nothing has changed, and for each lence into our communities at the midnight hour and beat us and leave step forward there is one backward or even two, through racial and eco us half dead, and we shall still love nomic violence threaten like incur you. But be ye assured that we will able cancer, we are riding a wave wear you down by our capacity to suffer. One day we shall win free and when it crashes upon the shore at our death, another crests inexor dom, but not only for ourselves. ably, and another, and another, for We shall so appeal to your heart the light shines in the darkness and and conscience that we shall win the darkness has not overcome it you in the process, and our victory T n M a rtin and to the Spirit which will be a double victory.' " (From „ J »«I V n n r ” I f you think I came to tell you to hate white people, you have the wrong man. Our goal is not to defeat or humiliate the white man, but to win his friendship and love. ” —The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. King— a modem Moses fo r his people. Dick Bogle, Commissioner City of Portland * r*4. ' '■ ¿7 • - '- A • ; ’d ® »