The early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the Church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles o popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the value of conviction and the role of the Church in shaping societal values.
Martin Luther King, Jr. reflects on the early Christians' willingness to endure suffering for their beliefs, showcasing a deep commitment to their faith. He contrasts the Church's historical role as not just a passive observer of societal trends but as an active force that influences and changes societal norms, emphasizing the transformative power of strong convictions in the face of adversity.
In practice
This quote can be used in a sermon to inspire conviction among believers.
This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love.
Music is the best consolation for a despaired man
We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.
We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
Israel... is one of the great outpost of democracy in the world
One of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the Great Society... shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam.
It is in vain to hope to guard against events too mighty for human foresight or precaution, and it would be idle to object to a government because it could not perform impossibilities.
I daresay anything can be made holy by being sincerely worshipped.
Without knowing myself, I have no real basis for thinking.
The glory of creation is in its infinite diversity.
Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.
The past feels distant, even when it's near. The future feels assured, even when it isn't.
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