Thomas Griffin 1/14/24
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Dr. King once said that “If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”
What do you live for?
When a man gives his life for a cause, it shows just how much he is willing to bet on its importance. Dying for something means that you believe it is worth living for. Dr. King traveled the country to give speeches on the dignity of the human person. He was convinced that he had to place his neck on the line for something so critical.
What would you say is the greatest cause of your life? What do you fight for?
The memory of Martin Luther King ought to ask us to consider such questions. We all know it is all too easy to simply walk through life and not give it much thought. We can spend more time on our phones than we would like. We can end up thinking about meaningless things rather than acting out of love for our spouses and family members. Sometimes it is too easy to get by in life, so we live without thinking.
At a minimum, this long weekend should make us more active on what matters the most in life. Does our screen time and social media time control our day? Are we controlled by comparing ourselves to the lives of others or by the constant news cycle? We might not be called to die for a cause like MLK but we are certainly called to live life on purpose and for a purpose that is bigger than ourselves.
If you are like me that means that we are invited each day to pray, love our families and commit ourselves to our jobs. King did what was asked of him. Finding what is asked of us is as simple as committing to our responsibilities. The nature of his life and his talents and relationships allowed him to impact the world. No other person has the same relationships as you do. Committing to them and resolving to live a life of sacrifice in those responsibilities can make us become more like King – more like a hero.
That is why Dr. King is so inspiring. The time he was living in was different from ours. The racial tensions were much higher, even though they are still a reality today. African Americans were being treated as sub-human. Different schools. Different water fountains. Different sides of town. Different sections of the bus. Because of his words and life that has changed.
However, there are still many ways that we are being called to improve our surroundings and live from our calling. It was no accident that King was a man of deep faith. We know that he was also a sinner, but there is no doubt that he knew Jesus and that his motivation for equality came from his God-centered worldview.
If there is no God then those who have the most power can write the rules. They can place labels on people depending on how they look or how they can benefit from belittling them. But if God is real and human beings are made in his image and likeness then every single person is made by God and made for God. No one is beneath that dignity.
Is there anyone in your life that you treat as less than? Is there a person, for whatever reason, that you think does not deserve respect and dignity?
If there is – learn from MLK.
In one of his least known prayers King speaks about how the little tree that Jesus hung on is a telescope from which we can view all of history. It is the story of God’s eternal love for you and for me. “It is an eternal reminder to a power-drunk generation, that love is the only way,” he says. It was his relationship with the cross of Christ that motivated his civil disobedience and his reliance on nonviolence in the face of hatred.
Whenever we are inclined to live empty lives that are focused on ourselves or act out of hatred for others, let us be reminded of that tree. That tree signifies our sin. But also that tree which shows that God believes that we are worth saving, not hating. Let us live for something bigger than ourselves so that we can reject hatred and accept the call to be a great sign of God’s love. Trust in the reality of that tree more than anything else – and then we will be more like MLK.
Thomas Griffin is the chairperson of the religion department at a Catholic high school on Long Island where he lives with his wife and two sons. He has a masters degree in theology and is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Empty Tomb Project: The Magazine.
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