On Love, War, and MLK.

Yesterday, April 4th, was the day Martin Luther King was assassinated. I walked into a used bookstore a few years ago, around the time of MLK's birthday, and bought a few books they had on a special display. Since then, I've been intrigued by this man. Moreover, I've been intrigued about his legacy in the United States. A Giant of a man, and a pillar of Christianity, reduced to one speech. One radical revolutionary, reduced to a pretty neat guy.

Yesterday, NPR did story upon story, interview upon interview, and played speech upon speech. They did an outstanding job. I had listened to it thoughout the day, but on my way home around , they were wrapping up and played a recording of this quote from one of his sermons:

"Don't ever let anyone pull you so low as to hate them. We must use the weapon of love. We must have the compassion and understanding for those who hate us. We must realize so many people are taught to hate us that they are not totally responsible for their hate. But we stand in life at midnight; we are always on the threshold of a new dawn."

I hasn't left my mind. This sermon was given during the Vietnam war. It's an odd thing to live as a Christian during war. There is a great disparity between what I should think and feel as a Christian, and what I should as an American.

A question arose in my mind; Do you think love can conquer where war both can and cannot? And I'm not referring to flippant "Love not War" b.s., or being helpful, or being kind, but pure, true Christian love. Would it conquer in place of war? Could it conquer the same as war?

I would like to think the answer is 'yes. absolutely.' So what, then, do we do with war?