Today marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin
Luther King’s prophetic “I Have a Dream" speech. Long lauded as one of the most powerful and
eloquent speeches in history, King’s words gave voice to a movement that
changed our history. All of us live in a
better nation because of the words of this man speaking on behalf of some of
us.
It is easy to sentimentalize that speech in that moment in
history. However, the reality is that there were many Americans for whom King’s
dream was decidedly not their own dream. Segregated society served them well,
they believed. Well-educated citizens
(even church people!) believed that King’s vision would not be a dream, but a
nightmare. King served as a prophet by
speaking hard truth to people who did not want to hear it, and he paid for it
with his life.
My morning Scripture reading today included Zechariah 13. The prophet promises that “in that day” (meaning
“the day when God’s kingdom shall be fulfilled among us”), there will be no
more false idols. Interestingly, he
announces also that there will be no more prophets in that day. Zechariah doesn’t say that there will be no
more false prophets, he says that there will be no more prophets of any stripe.
In fact, in that day prophets are to change professions and become farmers.
I puzzled over those words for awhile. Why no more
prophets? And then it struck me. There will be no more need for prophets to
announce the will of God, because, in that day, we will all see and understand and
live in God’s will fully. How will we know the Kingdom has arrived?
When we no longer need someone else to explain it to us.
Dr. King served as a prophet to our nation, announcing a
better way. Sometimes people wonder
about the need for continued focus on civil rights in our nation, citing how
far we have come. Do we really need to keep talking about these same things
again and again? Aren’t we good enough yet? I am convinced the day will come,
as Zechariah promised, that we will no longer need prophets. Until that day
arrives, though, may we continue to be attentive to the words of the prophets
among us, as they continue to call us to a better way, a way to make our world
today look a bit more like God’s kingdom.
