As considerable attention is focused on the life and times of Martin Luther King Jr. today it is fitting to consider one of his ideological and literary contributions; namely, his "Letter from Birmingham City Jail." Although I have yet to read all of King's archived writings, this is the most striking I have come across to date. The original letter was revised and published again. I have included a link to one edition of the letter for those who have not yet read it. There are several elements of these words that have resonated with me as I reflect upon them. I am continually struck by the adeptness and familiarity of King with scripture. I am not surprised that he knew scripture, he was after all a minister, rather I am in awe of his ability to relate the stories of the past to his own social locale. Not only does he relate the past with the present, but he used them in a prophetic manner. He criticized to energize (to borrow some language from Walter Brueggemann's Prophetic Imagination). The use of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from Daniel as an illustration of civil disobedience is a fascinating example of his ingenuity. Biblical knowledge aside, his philosophical, theological, and historical acumen are also elegantly displayed in this letter.
Finally, the rhetoric he commanded shines through as well. He turned the accusations of extremism into a compliment and a motivational rallying cry for perseverance. Indeed, he called not for an extremism of hate, but rather, creative extremism of love. As a national holiday winds down and a nation gears up for a presidential inauguration hopefully anticipating change; I wonder how many will remember that one of the greatest catalysts for change in the 20th century in America was not a politician, but a pastor?
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/frequentdocs/birmingham.pdf
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