"Don’t Get Cocky!"

This post is an assigned response to Dr. Paul Louis Metzger’s blog post, Unfinished Business, which focuses on the ongoing need to address civil rights, racial reconciliation, and Martin Luther King’s prophetic vision of the “beloved community.”

I remember when the first Star Wars[1] movie was released in 1977. It was in the spring of my 9th-grade year. At that time the special effects were unparalleled— such as the light sabers and famous “jump to light speed” that awed us all, and brought us back to the theater again and again (VCRs and DVDs didn’t exist). Where I lived in Oregon, the theater had entered into a strange agreement to continue showing Star Wars until revenue dropped below a certain point. If memory serves me, it was three years later when the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back (1980), was released and the first movie was still showing at that theater. It was the movie's longest continuous run anywhere. 

The movie was about a community of creatures (from various races and species) fighting for their very survival against the powerful monolithic structures of evil found in the Empire. While Star Wars was not an example of King’s non-violent approach to “beloved community”, the movie’s hero, Jedi-in-training Luke Skywalker, was instructed by Masters Obi-wan and Yoda that the dark side of the force took control by giving in to fear, anger, and hatred…leading to “suffering” (e.g., violent and vengeful attacks). The same danger exists for us today in working for social justice that existed for Rev. King, the temptation to give in to hate and fear, to be overcome by the “dark side” that is the native language of a fallen world. 

Do you remember watching Star Wars for the first time and celebrating with Luke after he successfully destroyed one of the TIE fighters that was attacking their spaceship (the Millennium Falcon)? Then Han Solo (Harrison Ford) quickly brought him back to the unfinished business at hand, “Great kid! Don’t get cocky.” It seems that great strides were made back in the day of King and the civil rights movement…but that doesn’t mean the battle is over. There is still too much fear, hate, and suffering. Yet we must not lose the vision of the beloved community, As Dr. Metzger writes,

So, what does the beloved community look like, and what is the unfinished business to which we must attend in light of King’s life and legacy? The beloved community is a community of love and justice and peace and equality that breaks through the chains of racism and classism and abuses of various kinds. Beloved community requires that we connect the dots of those things that destroy beloved community and come together in solidarity to consume those dots and connections, just as King did.

If we are going to connect the dots" we need spiritual wisdom and understanding. This was the Apostle Paul's prayer for the church in Colossae. We need precise and correct knowledge of God's will for society not just for individuals. We need spiritual wisdom from above not the "dark side" (James 3:13-18) if we are to use our knowledge fruitfully. Finally, we need understanding (Greek synesis) which enables us to put the pieces together into a cohesive whole; to treat the causes, not just the symptoms, and to incite thankfulness, not riots.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10)

We live in a world of turmoil and oppression. We see increased racial tension in America,

Created by Jean Jullien in
response to Paris attacks, 2015.

some legitimate conflicts over racism, other incidents are less legitimate and are being pimped to the benefit of one side or the other. Islamic terrorism has been especially vicious in recent months with the most recent being the heinous attacks in Paris on November 13-14, 2015. In this attack, the current death toll is 136, with another 33 wounded. This is not the beloved community. Nor can such a beloved community be established by military force alone. It will take the power of God expressed in sacrificial love.

So what will we do? Will we change who we are at the core of our being? Will we grow weary of trying to understand each other, will we quit looking for ways to work together with others? Will we respond in unkind ways to the unkind or will we be able to stay "on target" with the love of God no matter how much it costs us?

I am prompted to consider that I will need God’s help. Thankfully he not only doesn’t grow weary but he gives power to the faint and powerless (Isaiah 40:28-29). And, strengthened by the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the repeated New Testament command to not grow weary in our mission to do good for others no matter how tough it gets. Here are a few such scriptures…

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:8-10)

As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:13)

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Hebrews 12:3-4)

Martin Luther King’s beloved community cannot be fully realized on earth until we who are the church can engage others in light of Jesus’ own voluntary humiliation on our behalf.  As it is written,

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:1-3)

“…for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:3-5)

As a new installment of the Star Wars movie franchise is scheduled to be released in December, some 38 ½ years after the first one, perhaps it will remind us to not depend upon the successes of the past, nor the methods and power of the world to carry us into the future. Perhaps we will once again band together to build the blessed kingdom of Christ, the beloved community indeed. Perhaps we should start by expressing gratitude to those fighting the good fight of love as Dr. Metzger suggests, "We must show gratitude to the often thankless labors of love of mothers who serve their families so sacrificially, fathering their children, holding down multiple jobs, teaching their children the value of hard work and how to stretch a dollar and stretch a hug to heal a family and a community."

Don’t get cocky! We have unfinished business.

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[1] This first film was later retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope