COMMENTARY
tvc.dsj.org | April 10, 2018
9
King’s Wisdom Still Calling Us Higher – 50 Years Later
By Tony Magliano
Internationally syndicated social justice
and peace columnist
[email protected]
When a disciple of Jesus takes his or her prophetic
baptismal call seriously, that person’s words and ac-
tions live on long after he or she leaves this world.
An outstanding example of this truth is found in
the prophetic discipleship of the Rev. Martin Luther
King, Jr. who with selfl ess courage, faithfully lived out
his God-given mission 50 years ago – albeit ending
tragically too short.
For on the evening of April 4, 1968, after preach-
ing and being present in solidarity with poorly paid
African-American sanitation workers, King, while
standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in
Memphis, Tenn., suff ered a fatal bullet wound – leav-
ing this world at the young age of 39.
On that sad day America, and indeed the whole
world, lost a powerfully prophetic voice and coura-
geous witness to the social justice and nonviolent
peace teachings of Jesus Christ.
But a fatal bullet coming from one assassin or
from a conspiracy of Mafi a, local, state and federal
government agencies (see: www.thekingcenter.org/
assassination-conspiracy-trial) could not silence the
truthful words that continue to challenge a nation
and world to completely abandon its deep-seated ac-
ceptance and addiction to racism, inequality, injustice,
militarism and violence.
The messenger was killed. But his message lives on!
King said, “God intends for all of his children to
have the basic necessities of life, and he has left in
this universe enough and to spare for that purpose.”
For example, there is indeed enough food
in the world to adequately feed every single
child, woman and man. And yet, over 40 million
people in the United States struggle with hunger
(see https://bit.ly/2keunGc). And according to
Catholic Relief Services over 800 million fellow
human beings throughout the world are hungry
(see: http://education.crs.org/issues/hunger-food).
“The time is always right
to do what is right.”
Why are we allowing this to happen?
In large part this hunger suff ered by so many is
due to an increasing disparity between the haves and
the have-nots. And President Trump’s and Congress’
new tax law widens this disparity.
And while most Americans think the U.S. gives at
least 25 percent of its national budget to help the poor-
est hungriest people in the world, the truth is that the
U.S. government allocates less than 1 percent towards
poverty-focused international aid. That is downright
stingy (see: https://bit.ly/2Gd4znM).
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King said, “A riot is the language of the un-
heard.” This is a hard fact. And it applies not only in
the U.S. but around the world.
I recently heard Rev. Mae Cannon, executive
director of Churches for Middle East Peace, say
in reference to the injustices and poverty suff ered
by Gazans at the hands of the Israeli government
that “desperate situations leave people feeling
desperate. And desperate people lead to war”
(see: http://cmep.org/issues/resources-on-gaza/).
This is why Blessed Pope Paul VI famously said,
“If you want peace, work for justice.”
Spiritual death draws ever closer as the U.S. and
many other nations continue to spend $1.7 trillion
annually on war and war preparation while allow-
ing countless people to suff er and die in poverty and
hunger.
King warned, “A nation that continues year after
year to spend more money on military defense than
on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual
doom.”
And that is where the U.S. and many other na-
tions are at: the cliff of spiritual doom. America has
“In God we trust” on its money, but in many ways
not in its heart.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. King encourag-
ingly said, “The time is always right to do what is
right.”
Tony Magliano is available to speak at diocesan or parish
gatherings. He can be reached at [email protected].
Tune into Tony on Relevant Radio’s Bay Area Catholic,
KSFB 1260 AM, Saturday, April 14 at 3 p.m. (Divine
Mercy Hour).