Martin Luther King, Jr. – Hero and Prophet

Today I'm posting on Martin Luther King, Jr. over at Ignitum Today:

Today we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., a personal hero after whom I named my son, and perhaps the twentieth century's greatest prophet. Like Jesus, King consistently chose non-violence in the face of hatred and brutal persecution. In harmony with Catholic social teaching, he celebrated the dignity of all people—friends and enemies alike. And like prophets past, he harnessed rhetoric and solidarity to sway a nation.

The explosive message of this modern-day Isaiah still matters today. If you've never studied King's words—and by that I mean more than just sound bites—take a few minutes today and taste his passion and power.

Read the rest here.

In the post, I include two must-watch videos for today. One is King's iconic "I Have a Dream Speech" and the other is commentary from Fr. Robert Barron on why King still matters today:

What's your favorite Martin Luther King quote or speech?

Posted on: January 21, 2013 in Blog, Fr. Robert Barron, Social Justice, Videos
Tagged:

JoseProvi

I'm not sure what to think of King. I've read accusations that he was a serial plagiarizer and a womanizer almost as bad as JFK.
- http://www.brandonvogt.com/ Brandon Vogt
  
  Both of those are true, as many biographers have affirmed. But his personal flaws don't subtract from his prophetic legacy.
Linda

He had more than just personal flaws. He was philosophically a communist!
Anna

He was used by Planned Parenthood and the eugenics movement to bring their services to the black community. He encouraged his people to embrace all Planned Parenthood had to offer. Not a big fan, myself.
http://www.facebook.com/people/David-L-Gray/100001385030074 David L. Gray

This is a troubling article Brandon for two reasons. I'm Black and I don't even celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. First of all, MLK Jr. was pro-abortifacient drugs and pro-planned parenthood (even though they were anti-abortion at the time). Second, I do agree that he was a grand provocateur, and his personal failings don't take away from that, but God's true prophets were always men who were on the ascension to holiness, rather than traveling on the wide way on the road called Debauchery. MLK Jr. was no prophet of God, inasmuch as he was a provocateur.