“As a young man, with most of my life ahead of me, I decided early to give myself to something eternal and absolute. Not to those little gods that are here today and gone tomorrow. But to God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
–Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., chapter 4

As commemorations for Martin Luther King, Jr. take place in various venues this month, we reflect on his prophetic voice, prompted by Pam’s sermon on the Second Sunday after the Epiphany. Pam spoke about the work of “connecting the dots” in scripture and sacred stories. By listening closely to the messengers of God who link the human and the divine, we deepen our understanding of these narratives–these “pieces of the fabric of community.”

King’s activism, writing, study, and preaching were enriched by his interfaith relationships. Among the prophets he befriended was Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Stanford University’s King Research and Education Institute article on Heschel, Abraham Joshua elaborates on this relationship. Heschel was deeply interested in the relationship between God and humankind and shared a social consciousness with King that embraced an ecumenical approach. After meeting in 1963 as speakers at conferences, the two men continued to support each other, exploring consequential moral questions. They marched together from Selma to Montgomery; Heschel recalled feeling like his “legs were praying” as he walked alongside King.

For a personal account that is rich in memories and photographs, we turn to Susannah Heschel, professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth and Rabbi Abraham’s daughter. She emphasized that their shared passion for the biblical prophets was foundational to their philosophies of social justice in this virtual talk: “Two Friends, Two Prophets: Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Martin Luther King, Jr.” [sponsored by “The Forum at St. Bart’s, NYC” (January 23, 2022)]

—Mary Beth Clack, Cindy Coldren, Pat Krol
–Published in This Week @Emmanuel Church Jan. 18, 2024