THE LEGACY OF DR. KING CONTINUED TO INSPIRE CHRISTIANS TO STAND UP.

By Kelvin J. Cochran, Op-ed Contributor Monday, January 15, 2024

I literally had a dream about the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

 At the time, I was only five years old, and I was one of six children raised by a single mother in the poorest area of Shreveport, Louisiana. But when I grew up, I already dreamed of becoming a firefighter. In the then-White Shreveport Fire Department, that wasn't even possible.

However, thanks to the new law, I was able to join the first generation of "dream children," the concept of which Martin Luther King, Jr. mentioned a year earlier in his famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Like many of his writings and statements of the time, his speeches challenged Americans to defend the basic principles of freedom and equality of their country, as well as to encourage believers to defend the truth of God.

Among his most famous efforts, he fought for the return of freedom to the next generation, who "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

The Shreveport Fire Department faced a federal lawsuit to achieve this, but the city hired its first black firefighters in 1972. I was signed by them nine years later. A poor child raised with my mother's Christian faith and a strong sense of nationalism, I went on to become the city's fire chief and later served as U.S. Fire Administrator during President Barack Obama's administration.

I was investigated while I was serving as Atlanta's fire chief for sharing my personal beliefs in a book I wrote myself for Christians. One belief is that marriage is meant to be between one man and one woman and that sex should be part of marriage. I was fired for expressing a belief that has been held by millions of people around the world for centuries.

Christian leaders stood beside me at this week's rally in support of my freedom and dignity. I will never stop thanking them for their help and inspiration. Over the past few years, I have often thought about what they are doing because I have witnessed so many leaders and other members of the Christian church remain silent in the face of growing racial turmoil, social upheaval, and persecution.

 I can't imagine Dr. King seeing Christians standing still because so many people across our country are inciting riots, defying the principles of our faith, and degrading the principles of our Constitution. He spoke and wrote with almost prophetic insight, measuring the spirit of his own day in a way that is true to our own.

Dr. King sat in a Birmingham jail three months before his big speech in Washington, D.C., writing:

In my view, the church is the body of Christ. However, we have corrupted and damaged our bodies due to social neglect and the fear of being nonconformists.

The modern church is often seen as the main proponent of a weak, ineffective, and uncertain status quo. Undisturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the community is flat, comforted by the church's silent, and sometimes even vocal, sanctions against the current state of affairs.

The church today would lose its authenticity, lose the loyalty of millions, and be considered an irrelevant social club in the 20th century if it did not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the first church.

Dr. King understood very well that in order for Christians to bear effective testimony in this world—to make a real and lasting difference—we must be willing to sacrifice things we don't want. Sacrifice time, comfort, and the unreal "peace" that results from trying to hide or join forces with evil.

 As a person who has experienced persecution personally, I have learned that challenging a hostile culture has inevitable consequences. However, God prepares us for the future by using our faithfulness to show his side to those who oppose freedom and ourselves.

In addition, he showed appreciation and respect for those who found the courage to stand up.

Dr. King was acutely aware of the dangers associated with challenging an unfair culture. However, he also realized that, as he said in his speech in Selma in 1965:

"A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice, fairness, and truth."

Many Christians today die in it, and they do not even realize it. It is my prayer that, as we enter what may be a controversial year for our country, people will find the courage of Dr. King in his faith and again learn to appreciate the truth and justice of God

Kelvin Cochran is vice president and senior fellow of the Alliance Defending Freedom (@ADFLegal).

News Sources :  https://www.christianpost.com/voices/dr-kings-legacy-of-courage-still-beckons-christians-to-stand.html