Even in the end, the concluding words of the "Mountain top" speech have him witnessing to "the glory of the coming of the Lord!"

In Context

The only way to fully understand Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s message is to recognize him as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What he did and stood for was grounded in sound Christian teachings, whether it was his call for equal rights for all people, aiding the poor, opposition to the war or fighting evil through nonviolent means. Even more, he demonstrated a trust in God, who, he knew, would never fail him.

Even in the end, the concluding words of the "Mountain top" speech have him witnessing to "the glory of the coming of the Lord!"

King has had a great impact on my ministry. He has taught with his words and with his life. He challenges us to see ourselves as citizens of the world, feeling the pain and suffering of others as our own because consequences today are global. In his words, " ... injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." This is why, at our Armenian Youth Ministries' Center in Glendale we dedicate so much time to learning about Dr. King. Our programs are based on outreach and walking "in the shoes" of those who suffer. Dr. King's message is of particular importance to us, who once were oppressed, but now have an opportunity to reach out to others.

FR. VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church

Youth Ministries

Glendale

Great humanitarian leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are inspiring to us all. But we shouldn't forget that they too are inspired. Someone lit the flame that burned in their hearts. Someone set the example. Someone's influence lifted them out of the ordinary and drove them to accomplish the extraordinary.

For King, I believe that person was Jesus Christ. Dr. King was a Baptist minister. He was ordained to personally follow Jesus Christ, to publicly proclaim Him as Lord and Savior to people of all ethnicities and, as was his special divine calling, to pursue racial equality on the biblical basis that God created all people in His image.

Jesus urges us all to greatness, to the end that we make a difference for the better and that people's hearts are brought closer to God. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16).

PASTOR JON BARTA

Valley Baptist Church

Burbank

Baldwin is probably making too much of the fact that Martin Luther King Jr. was a pastor. I think that Dr. King could have successfully led the civil rights movement if he had been a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor, a blue-collar worker, or any other occupation one could name. It is not our occupation that defines us. It is what we do with our lives that defines us.

Both before and after King became a pastor he was a good and decent human being. He saw injustice, he felt injustice and he was determined to do something about it through nonviolent means. I believe that any person with his kind of passion can become a leader and help correct wrongs.

As a pastor myself, I understand the value of my training -- and I enjoy being a pastor. However, I do not try to help people because I am a pastor. I do it because my heart and my mind both agree it is the right thing for me to do. My being a pastor is simply an appendage to my trying to be the best person I can be at the level of understanding I have achieved. I believe that this kind of reasoning would resonate with King. I do not think there is any evidence that he ever sought to find out what people who surrounded him did for a living, but he was very interested in what was in their hearts before he invited them to work with him.

THE REV. THOMAS E. WITHERSPOON

Unity Church of the Valley

La Crescenta

I feel that it is important to emphasize Dr. King's religious convictions.

King proved how tolerant religion is, by preaching that every human being is created in the image of God, and therefore has a God-given right to liberty and equality. This was the driving force propelling King's peaceful struggle to bring equal rights to all people, specifically the oppressed black population of America.

As a rabbi, I would like to mention King's special relationship with the Jewish people. He knew that both Blacks and Jews went through tragic experiences in their history and both peoples were exposed to violent slavery. He saw both groups as being oppressed simply because of their ethnicity. He was therefore very supportive of Jewish and Zionist causes and famously stated during a 1968 Harvard University appearance that "When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews; You are talking anti-Semitism."

Furthermore, During the civil rights movement, Jewish activists represented a disproportionate number of whites involved in the struggle. Jews made up half of the young people who participated in the Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964.

We can all learn from Dr. King's example. He was a unique religious leader who, while fighting for the rights of his own people, was also able to show support for ending the discrimination and persecution of other people as well.

RABBI SIMCHA BACKMAN

Chabad Jewish Center

Glendale

Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed on my birthday in 1968.

I was sitting in a seminary class when a professor brought in the news.

But I thought highly of Dr. King before he died on April 4, and so did many of my seminary colleagues.

One of my fellow students expressed the thought that King was the 20th century's greatest American, and that from a white guy from East Texas!

Dr. King's life as a pastor was, of course, important to who he was. I love the story that when he had first come to his Alabama church, he received a call from those about to boycott the bus lines.

He was asked if the boycotters could use his church as a gathering place. Dr. King said, "Let me think about that for a while."

The voice on the other end said, "Well, think about it in a hurry, because we are meeting there this coming Thursday!"

I like that story because it tells me that God chooses us to do something when it's convenient for God, not for us!

And Brother Martin said yes to his Lord. What a man of courage and faithfulness!

What an American!

THE REV. C.L. "SKIP" LINDEMAN

Congregational Church of the Lighted Window

United Church of Christ