Sounding Borad

King charged us to love each other: How can I love you better?

 

How Can I Love You Better?

I'm honored to share a piece of my heart, mind soul. I hope that the words and thoughts that I share will resonate within and kindle a fire that you will be able to camp around daily and receive the warmth you need to pursue your purpose.

We celebrate and honor the life, the journey and the purpose of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—a life that was lived with the intention of doing what God put him on this earth to do. A life dedicated to living out the two greatest commandments: loving the Lord God with all his heart, all his soul and all his mind, and loving his neighbor as himself. A life meant to serve as a footprint for the long walk towards freedom set before the Black community.

A life full of LOVE: Dr. King's journey had many stops, detours, roadblocks and dead ends, but yet he kept on moving. A journey dedicated to bringing the injustices against the Black communities across the county to light and to march with the people to activate LOVE, so it can drive out the hate that unfortunately filled the hearts of many. A journey dedicated to encouraging and uplifting, versus chastising and tearing down.

A journey of LOVE! Dr. King walked with a purpose of being the shepherd in a movement meant to give some of God's chosen people a level playing field in this country. A purpose to activate the call. A purpose to inspire a generation who will hopefully inspire another generation to continue the purpose of Dr. King.

A purpose of LOVE. I know that the Dr. King, who was a man working in God's will, was working with the greatest gift, and the only tool that could make tremendous change with the activating of it…LOVE

Patience, kindness, gentleness, no record of wrongdoing, no envy, no boasting, no dishonoring, no self-seeking, not easily angered. A tool that does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres and it never fails.

I'm talking about Love. That agape love, the Love that God is. Dr. King decided to stick with Love, because hate was too great of a burden to bear.

We should too. In an attempt to equip myself with this powerful tool, and an attempt to convince us that not only is this strategy that Dr. King implemented effective and efficient but it's also powerful and life changing. I ask you, neighbor, my fellow man and woman,

How can I love you better? What can I do to show you that it's not about me getting over on you. Or me being more successful than you. It's not about me at all, but it's about us coming together to fulfill the needs of the hungry. Us coming together to help build up communities that have no foundation. Us collaborating to create an opportunity for our fellow man or woman to have the best possible outcome for their lives. It's about us serving each other, in love.

So I ask, how can I love you better? Do you need a simple smile when you walk by me? Can I embrace you with a hug that you need because it appears that no one else wants to? Can I share half of my sandwich that I was looking forward to eating with you? Can I pray for you?

Can I forgive you for the wrong you did to me? Can I help you understand who I am and why I need your love?

How can I love you better? I implore you friends and family to ask the same question. Matter of fact, look to your neighbor and ask, How can I love you better?

What will it take for us to go from "me" to "we"? What will it take for us to leave the comparison and begin the companionship? What will it take? What will it take to teach your child and my child to love each other better from the beginning?

How can I love you better? Dr. King said that Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.

I agree wholeheartedly! He also said that hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it. So I ask again, how can I love you better?

In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive." Let Patience have its perfect work. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only Light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only Love can do that."

I would be remiss if I didn't give honor to two pioneers who helped create this space for you and I to be here together. Two legends in our community who loved us. Who taught us to love and charged us to continue the work needed to love on each other. Mr. Ivan Bush and Pastor Happy Watkins started the work, and we have to continue the work.

We thank them for the sacrifice of love that they poured into us for inspiring us. Thank you, Grandfather, Bishop Ezra Kinlow for inspiring me to want to be here right now encouraging my fellow community to show me how I can love them better.

So let's leave here today, and continue to ask ourselves and others, How can I love you better?

Michael Bethely - Member of Holy Temple Church of God in Christ

 

Links to recent sermons on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and on leadership:

• Bishop Marian Budde, Washington Cathedral:

•William Barber II's MLK Day King Center, Atlanta sermon:

• Baptist Bishop Garry Tyson at Spokane'sMLK Service: