Is Martin Luther King Jr. Day sacred?
Congregations united this weekend to celebrate a spiritual leader who gave his life for the cause of freedom. Has Martin Luther King Jr. Day become a religious holiday that all can embrace no matter their faith?
Rabbi Karyn Kedar of Congregation B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim in Glenview says absolutely. King demonstrated how one man could fight for freedom as a matter of principle not political convenience. Those principles can be found in almost every religious tradition, she said.
"A religious holiday is a moment where we agree to pause and reflect on something larger than ourselves," Kedar said. "We also reflect upon that part of us that is incredibly deep and holy and filled with light."
On Friday, Jews around the world read Hebrew scriptures about the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. That the scripture reading fell on the holiday weekend devoted to King inspired Kedar’s synagogue to invite members of Chicago’s Third Baptist Church, one of their partners through United Power for Action & Justice, a network of religious organizations who work together on issues of homelessness, health care and affordable housing. More than 850 members of the Baptist and Jewish congregations together sang Hebrew and Gospel and recited the kaddish, an ancient prayer for the dead.
"There was no longer a 'you' and 'me.' We had become one congregation that was incredibly universal," Kedar said. "It was absolutely a religious experience. This is when the issues of freedom and dignity and justice transcend politics and enter into the world of religion and ethics and faith. It is an opportunity for people of all faiths to make it so."
On Sunday, Tribune reporter Tara Malone reported how leaders at Willow Creek Community and Salem Baptist churches challenged their congregants to transcend boundaries and stereotypes and simply get to know each other.
"For the time we have on this earth, it's incumbent on us to try and solve as many of the problems as we can," said Rev. James Meeks, pastor of Salem Baptist. "The fact we spent this MLK weekend together, the fact we don't bury our heads in the sand...it says a lot."
Tara suggested I call Rev. Nat Edmond of Second Baptist Church in Elgin. For the past six years, Edmond and his congregation have commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by delivering a sermon to students at nearby Judson University, an evangelical Christian college. But Edmond does not consider the day a religious obligation, which he says is defined by Scripture.
"The principles that he expounded were certainly anchored in faith," Edmond said speaking of King. "It’s hard to separate the life and legacy of Martin without examining his ties to the church. It’s not a religious holiday, but it's difficult to celebrate all he did without allowing his spirituality to shine through in some ways."
He also believes Martin Luther King Jr. Day should not be spent in reflection.
"I’m not sure Martin would want that," Edmond said. "He was not about taking the day off and reflecting. Life was about making changes. I don’t like to think of it as a day off. I like to think of it as a day on."
Still, Kedar laments that unlike other holidays, less than 40 percent of businesses shut down on the third Monday in January. MLK Day is still treated as one of the best times to buy a mattress, she said.
"Have we gotten to the point where we must have a legally politically mandated moment of pause in order to raise something to the level of divine imperative?" she asked. "Are there values that are worth our attention because they are values that are valued?"
What do you think? Is Martin Luther King Jr. Day a time to remember a great man or is it a religious occasion?
Sourced from:
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/religion_theseeker/2008/01/is-martin-luthe.html
No comments:
Post a Comment