I was listening to the radio last Monday and heard a number of programs devoted to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. The programs were universally positive, though I heard something that surprised me. One interviewer on a Christian station shared the “revelation” that Dr. King’s activism actually grew out of his call as the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

I suppose it shouldn’t have surprised me to learn that there are Christian conservatives who believe that Dr. King was primarily a political agitator and that his faith was a “front” for his activism. I know I’ve heard this before but it always manages to catch me off guard.

I was gratified to hear the, admittedly conservative, radio host set the record straight. Dr. King went to the church as a pastor and was only reluctantly drawn into the Civil Rights movement. He was worried at first that becoming involved would detract from his ability to serve his congregation, but he grew to believe that it was his duty as a Christian to stand up to a great injustice.

A couple of months ago Dr. King came up in another conversation I had. The man I was talking to said that he believed in equal rights but was critical of the violent rhetoric of Malcolm X. He said that Dr. King wasn’t any better because his “smug, nice-guy” attitude made people angry.

I never learned what this man thought would have been acceptable. He didn’t have any names to offer when I asked about someone who used an approach to civil rights that he approved of.

The phrase “smug nice-guy” sticks with me. I’ve admired Dr. King for most of my life and the picture I’ve gotten from reading his sermons and papers is anything but smug. He was convinced of the rightness of the movement he was involved in, but he often worried that he was the right man to lead. He never assumed that the rightness of his cause made him automatically right in all he said and did and struggled to keep his words honest and humble.

He was a “nice guy” in the sense that he cared about the people around him (even those who opposed him) and wanted only the best for them. He wasn’t “nice” in the sense that he wouldn’t challenge people, or in the sense that he needed for people to like him. He made no bones about saying what he meant, no matter who it made angry. His letter from Birmingham jail http://almaz.com/nobel/peace/MLK-jail.html
is a powerful indictment of his fellow clergy. They criticized the protests that King was involved in and who called for patience and inaction. Dr. King disagreed, and let them know in powerful words. He probably worried about offending this group of potentially powerful allies, but he didn't pull any punches saying what needed to be said.

When someone like Dr. King comes along, it upsets the people who want to keep things the same. He had a faith that transformed his own views, and motivated him to take unpopular stands for the sake of justice. At the same time, his faith shaped the non-violent way he acted. He believed that justice and compassion had to go hand in hand.

I’m glad that people are still talking about Dr. King. His example of faith in action is one I hope we don’t ever forget. While I don’t like hearing it, I’m also glad that his legacy still bothers some people. It should bother us all.

There is still injustice, intolerance and bigotry in our nation and our world. As long as this is true, we need to be troubled, annoyed, and motivated to change things.