Milestone reflections

By Jessica Brodie

I had a milestone birthday in January, and this one tugged at me in ways other birthdays haven’t: Have I truly been doing “enough”? Have I achieved the things I’d hoped to achieve at this point in my life? Am I living in line with what God would have me do, fulfilling my personal role in bringing about God‘s kingdom here on earth?

I intended to go camping to celebrate, thinking immersing myself in nature would help me answer some of those questions, but between freezing temperatures and a forecast of rain, that was out the window—as was a hoped-for trip to Europe, something I still haven’t been able to check off my bucket list. Instead, my family and I took a trip to Atlanta, where we explored the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Site.

What a trip, and what a balm to the soul, reminding me of what is truly important in life. My teenaged daughter and I peered spellbound at the eternal flame at the King Memorial, a flame that symbolized the enduring legacy of Dr. King’s dream for justice, peace and equality for all people. At the historical site, our eyes traced the timeline of Dr. King‘s childhood and his long and critical work as one of the central figures in the civil rights movement. I listened to speeches he made and glimpsed awards he earned; my heart fluttered and swelled as I pondered such things. Dr. King has been one of my great heroes since I was a young girl, but back then, it always felt like his work had been so long ago. At least in my experience, as a woman growing up in the thriving multicultural community of Miami, Florida, so many of the strides he encouraged seemed as though they’d been realized by the time I came of age.

Yet it wasn’t “long ago”—not at all. My mom was just a young girl herself when Dr. King was marching and rallying people all over the nation in the world to join in his call for a “beloved community.” And I know his work—our work—for equality and justice still continues.

This is work that doesn’t ever go away, does it? We need to keep it in the forefront of our mind still, because even though it seems sometimes like the race has been won and the work is over, it’s not. Complacency lulls us into apathy. And apathy does not serve the kingdom of God.

My trip to Atlanta, and to the King Center, reminded me of this.

February is Black History Month, and regardless of whatever race comprises the majority of your church, I encourage you to consider what you can do to honor our nation’s Black history this month. How has your life changed because of it? How can you make a difference? How can you connect with others to build a world that reflects the varied hues, cultures and ethnicities of all of God’s people?

If you haven’t read them yet, I invite you to check out some of the Black history titles available from the Advocate’s publishing arm, the Advocate Press (see article, Page 7).

Together, we can bring about change that unites us as one in Christ.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”—John 1:5 (NIV)