Me and Dr. Bernice King, CEO of The King Center, at the Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine Women of Excellence reception last night…

Hello World,

I had planned to post about the fact that the 33rd Stellar Gospel Music Awards will be aired tonight on Good Friday no less on TV One at 9 p.m. EST and 8 p.m. CST and share some fun red carpet photos from the event which took place last Saturday, but then I received an inspiring post in my inbox from the Denison Forum  this morning which is the website where Dr. Jim Denison writes about cultural and contemporary issues from a Christian perspective.

His post was so inspiring and timely that I thought I would share a portion of it here particularly since I got the chance to hear Dr. Bernice King speak at the Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine Woman of Excellence Reception last night. I interviewed her in 2014 for the magazine so I got to know her a little bit back then, but last night she reminded everyone of something: When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., her father, became a martyr on April 4, 1968, 50 years ago next week, he was one of the most hated men in America. It was only because of the diligent work of his wife Coretta Scott King AFTER his death that he became a man loved the whole world over. Her statement spoke to me on so many levels. When we’re doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord we may not be liked, loved nor appreciated. In fact, we may not even live to see the fruits of our sacrificial labor. I’m reminded that when Jesus died he was treated as a common criminal, spat on, mocked and physically abused. So it is up to us to demonstrate that his actions in laying down his life were the ultimate in sacrificial love and that this gift of love is high, deep and wide enough to save whole world if only we share this Good News…

Below is a portion of Dr. Denison’s post:

Tomorrow marks the fiftieth anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s last Sunday sermon.

On March 31, 1968, Dr. King preached at the Washington National Cathedral. An overflow crowd heard him deliver “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution,” calling his listeners to join God in a movement that would bring righteousness to a culture divided by racial bigotry and endemic poverty.

In his message, he noted: “On some positions, cowardice asks the question: Is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question: Is it politic? Vanity asks the question: Is it popular? Conscience asks the question: Is it right?”

Then Dr. King stated, “There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.”

Four days later, he paid for his conscience with his life.

Dr. King ended his sermon by invoking a hymn sung earlier in the service as a challenge to America, the church, and all of humanity:

Once to ev’ry man and nation
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth and falsehood,
For the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision,
Off’ring each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever
‘Twixt that darkness and that light.

“God proved his love on the cross”

On this Good Friday, we remember Jesus’ choice “‘twixt that darkness and that light,” his “great decision” to bear the evil of our sin for the “great cause” of our salvation.

You and I have no ability to fathom just what this day cost our Savior.

See the rest at denisonforum.org.

I will share one snippet from the Stellar Awards. Below is a video snippet of Tori Kelly & The Hamiltones, the R&B trio made up of the three singers who sing background for Anthony Hamilton, performing “Help Us To Love,” which is appropros on this Good Friday.

Here is a excerpt of the lyrics written by Kirk Franklin:

This world is weeping, hurting, broken and begging for change
Oh yeah
But still we marching, praying, dying, and things stay the same
When will we see?
Till everyone’s free
There’ll never be peace between you and me
God, your love is the cure
For the rich and the poor
God, please will you open our eyes?

Any thoughts?

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The post How Martin Luther King Jr.’s Last Sunday Sermon Speaks to Us Today – A Post from the Denison Forum… appeared first on After the Altar Call.