Thoughts about a Baptist preacher

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday. This is the day we set aside to honor a Baptist pastor. Well, he was a Baptist pastor, but it is his work in civil rights we celebrate. I was born two years before he died, so the world in which he lived is unfamiliar to me. Watching documentaries about this time period reminds me how far we have come as a nation. I know we are not perfect, but to deny our progress is to diminish King's legacy.

What would the world be like today if King had never lived? Would someone else have championed the cause as successfully? If he were living, he would be 91 years old. Do you ever wonder about what positions he would take on the issues of our day?

I think that both liberals and conservatives believe that King would be on their side. In the past, he was a polarizing figure. Today we honor him as a foundational person in our nation's history. If he were with us, would we agree with him? Would he agree with us?

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gestures during his "I Have a Dream" speech Aug. 28, 1963, as he addresses thousands of civil-rights supporters gathered in Washington, D.C. (Associated Press)

Take gun control for an example. Would he side with those who believe more laws and restrictions will solve the problem of violence committed by people using guns? Would he want law abiding citizens disarmed?

Would his personal experience of being denied a concealed carry permit, after his house was bombed, cause him to champion the 2nd Amendment? Clearly, his life was in danger and he wanted to be able to protect himself. There are stories that he owned many guns even though he never advocated violence to gain civil rights.

Could you picture his reaction if he had lived long enough to witness the inauguration of the first African American President of the United States? Would he have agreed with the policies of the former administration? Would he be a progressive secularist in his views, or would he advocate a biblically conservative approach to the issues of the day?

You may have heard of Alveda King. She is his niece. She became a Republican in the 1990s and is a conservative activist. Would he have followed (or led) her path? Would they be allies, or at odds with one another? What would he think of the current administration?

We probably feel confident that we know where this civil rights icon would stand on these issues and others, but we will never know for sure.

When he was alive, King faced opposition from his fellow clergy who often disagreed with his activism. He also faced opposition from other civil rights activists who criticized his non-aggressive approach. None of that prevented him from achieving the pinnacle of honor that calls for a holiday.

Today, many people have no use for anyone who disagrees with them. Is it possible, if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today and took the "wrong" stand on an issue, his legacy would be destroyed? Some want to go back and judge him by today's ethics.

Along these lines, I think about biblical personalities. We think about the great leaders like Abraham, Moses, King David and the Apostle Paul. They all made significant contributions in their day, but they were not perfect. The only perfect person was Jesus.

We honor the memory of significant people because of their achievements, not because they are faultless.

Whether or not King would agree with me on key issues, I respect his work in the civil rights movement. He was courageous, and he died for his cause. We are a better society because of his contribution.