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Understanding to carry the cross of Dr. King for The King

Understanding to carry the cross of Dr. King for The King

Last updated on: January 22, 2025 at 9:49 am by Shawn Paul Wood

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Understanding to carry the cross of Dr. King for The King 2025-01-22T09:49:07-06:00 Shawn Paul Wood

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The Martin Luther King memorial in Washington D.C.

Dr. King taught us to stand for something or we would fall for anything. | Image Credit: @huntlh via pixabay

It was a blustering afternoon on August 28, 1963, when over 250,000 people marched on Washington D.C. for job equality, racial justice, and social reformation–led by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, at the feet of the man who abolished slavery, Dr. King told the quarter of a million people, 3,000 journalists, dozens of politicians, and the rest of the world watching the evening news what it meant to be free.

Today, that dream has seen its reality. Yet, if you ask the future generations, for whom those words were proclaimed as well, what that dream was about, they can’t tell you. It had as much to do with unifying our people as it did with underlying his messages with the Word of God. We celebrated Dr. King this week by honoring a day–his day–and did what? Parades? Listened to YouTube and watched some videos? Looked around and saw people with equal access to do just about anything?

As federal businesses closed, the least Christians could have done was keep our minds open for a message that we need today. What can the Body of Christ learn from Dr. King today? So much if we are willing to learn. After all, Dr. King once said, “Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.” How can we back up all that he shared with us? In the same way that we personify the words of the Bible, we must live them.

Before we delve into those questions, do you want to stay in touch with faith-based issues that are “close to home?” Subscribe to our free newsletter and never miss what’s being said about the Church or what Christians can say back.

Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Dr. King speaks about “former things having passed away.” His last Sunday message on this planet was to encourage people that “all things have become new.” He continued, “We live amid social change but fail to develop the new attitudes that the new situation demands.” Martin Luther King spent most of his waking moments trying to make the change. Once, Dr. King bellowed, “Free at last,” indicating that change was on the way. Modern man’s ingenuity can “dwarf distance,” but is he sleeping through the technological genius to unite the world as a neighborhood? As Dr. King said, the unfortunate miss there was, “We have yet to have the ethical commitment to make it a brotherhood, or we will perish together as fools.”

How can we carry that cross?

Love your enemies. The simple act of having an open heart when approaching people you don’t know may open your mind to how God wants you to bless someone through your time, talent, or treasure.
Look at yourself. We should examine ourselves—our biases, prejudices, and angst toward anyone who doesn’t act like us. We must dismantle ill will without a wrecking ball, but one brick at a time.
Listen to time. Somehow, we know when the revolution is coming in our personal place. At that moment, consider where we can become “fellow workers with God,” as Dr. King said.

The Drum Major Instinct

Dr. King reads from Mark 10:35, which describes James and John coming to Jesus and asking, “We want you to do for us whatever we ask.” Immediately, we are reminded of what happens when we begin telling Jesus our plans. It’s not good. God wants to bless us all, regardless of where we believe we should be placed in the grand scheme of things. Jesus, in all His wisdom, will place us where we need to be “and in righteousness, rule the world.” We will all have a part but don’t be fooled to think you can just tell God what your part will be.

How can we carry that cross?

Understand that we all have the same desire for attention, importance, and to be first. We all want it: black or white, Jew or gentile, man or woman. We all have that “drum major instinct,” as Dr. King says, “that gamut of life to be important and achieve distinction and lead the parade.”
Underscore how babies came into this world. They cried for attention. That’s the “drum major impulse” to do something good and then be praised for it. Yet, “Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth.” Many just “join the band for the impression the drum major receives,” Dr. King says. However, “That recognition will lead us where the crowd wants to go and not go where God needs you to go–that is how to become a man of distinction.” Without leaving on God, you’ll just live beyond your means and leave God out of the situation.”

I’ve Been to the Mountaintop

Somewhere, Dr. King read of the “freedom of assembly, speech, and press, and that the greatness of America is to protest for the right!” Dr. King knew the struggle would continue, but his eyes saw the greatest gathering of people of color in history stand together in peace and fight for a right to be heard. So, Dr. King famously opined, “It really doesn’t matter with me now because I’ve been to the mountaintop.” When he was there, metaphorically, his next words would become ominous.

I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with ya’. I want you to know tonight that we will get to the Promised Land.

As he’s stirring the crowd marveling at his journey, Dr. King admits he wants to live a long life, but doing God’s will is what’s most important. He knows what God has promised him–we, as a people, will get there. “I’m not worried about any man. Mine eyes have seen the coming of the Glory of the Lord.” That was a mic drop! The next day, he was assassinated. Prophetic. Rousing. And magnificent.

How can we ever carry that cross?

Dr. King boldly spoke about a greater community. That’s a place during his dream where white people and black people are together in one accord. It’s not about being in a building together but being in the grocery store together or the ball game together. Community reflects the swath of society, and everyone caught up in it deserves dignity and respect.
Dr. King demanded we understand how to engage in respectful dialogue. God has greater things prepared for his people whose hearts are open toward God (2 Corinthians 6:11). Being in a promised land is where we each know that we have a place. We can act the way we’re made and do the things that make us happy, but still talk to each other with respect and admiration because we each have a place there in Jesus’ Name.

General Christian

History and Religion

About Shawn Paul Wood

Shawn Paul Wood, Th.D., is an award-winning copywriter, contributor, and content strategist, and ghostwriter of several faith-based articles, speeches, columns, and books who has worked for some of the most admirable brands in their respective industries for over 20 years. As Founder of Woodworks Communications, he leads teams of content strategists and marketing professionals to expand the brands of corporate leaders, serial entrepreneurs, and respected ministers of the Gospel. He aims to help others develop self-discovery through stories and the written word to proclaim the Word to the world. For more information about his portfolio or help telling your story, visit WoodworksCommunications.com. You can read more about the author here.

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