King's Inspiring Imperfection

The life of Martin Luther King, Jr., shows that one does not have to be perfect to maintain a positive and powerful presence in our world.

By Richard Jones

Followers and foes of Martin Luther King, Jr., tend to celebrate or castigate the civil rights legend with moderation conspicuous only by its absence. Most devotees speak of him as though he was perfect, and many detractors speak against him as though he was pathetic.

When they dare speak to each other, they often dualogue and demean one another rather than engage in meaningful and mutually edificial dialogue about the extraordinary contributions this ever-so-hu-man of faith made to the Black struggle for freedom, power, prosperity, and peace.

That is unfortunate because, as is usually the case with famous people, carefully integrating hagiographic and disheartening images of King can actually help one form a more realistic and even refreshing idea of what he was like and all about. As a Christian, in fact, his life is reminiscent of certain Bible characters whose collective claim to fame was that God performed mighty works in and through them despite themselves.

Like ancient Israel's King David, for example, who gained the reputation as a man after God's own heart, Martin Luther King was also subject and susceptible to the same passions, perplexities, personal problems, and poignant contradictions as the rest of us who are members of fallen humanity.

Yet, like the prophet Elias, when King prayed and protested against the tsunamic flood of injustice unleashed by racist attitudes and actions, it was as though he was summoning all of heavenkind as well as humankind to help him dam and diminish the deluge of discrimination, deprivation, desecration, and devaluation that claimed the liveliness, livelihood, and actual lives of countless Africans attempting to live in America.

He was not a saint or just a sinner, but a real hu-man who dealt with deeply personal issues and problems in addition to grave social issues. Yes, he spent his lifetime confronting, conquering, and sometimes simply coping with his own shortcomings even while working indefatigably to stem the calamitous tide of systemic racism in this country.

Thus, he is a Black American hero not because he had a halo, but because he was strong and sagacious enough to look beyond his own faults and see our nation's dire need for revolutionary love, respect, equal opportunity, and perennial application of the philosophy of non-violence.

When you contemplate or commemorate King's life, bear in mind that he never would have had a wonderful influence on anyone or anything if he had been incapacitated by his imperfection rather than driven by his dream. Be thankful that he gave the best of himself regardless of what he or anyone else thought of the rest of him.

His flawed character is not a good reason to summarily dismiss him as a charlatan or condone his misconduct. It is a compelling reminder to stay humble and keeping growing regardless of your age and accomplishments. That he made mistakes also shows that you do not have to be perfect to maintain a positive and powerful presence in our world. You can grow as a person even as you go forth doing great things with your life. Besides, greater maturity and strength of character are good things that come not to those who just wait, but to those who make such progress a courageous, lifetime pursuit.

Richard Jones (www.iamrj.com) is a writer living in Detroit, Michigan.

Copyright (c) 2005 richard jones. All rights reserved. For the author's reprint policy, please send email to rjbpr@iamrj.com