This is the fifth part in a series about four Christians who did both great and terribile things for God’s Kingdom. I take solace in such examples when I royally screw up.
Speaking of prejudice, we revere the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for his efforts to fight racism and move America toward what he called “the beloved community.”
King led the Civil Rights Movement from a place of deep faith and faithfulness. He became a civil rights leader through his involvement in the church and the Southern Christitan Leadership Conference, and he called on Christians, both white and Black, to live up to the teaching of Jesus.
He rooted his arguments for the equality of all people in his theology, in scripture, and in philosophy. His practice of non-violent protest stemmed from his study of Jesus, Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire, and Ghandi.
And MLK cheated on his wife, Coretta Scott King, multiple times during their marriage. People in the Civil Rights Movement, including Corretta, knew that he had at least 10–12 extramarital affairs, while he was a Baptist minister.
We can’t condone King’s infidelity, but we also can’t allow his flawed behavior to degrade his monumental contributions and achievements. King’s story reminds us of the complex, often contradictory aspects of human beings.
Who am I to serve God, with all my failures and mistakes? I bet Dr. King asked himself the same thing.
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