There Is Nothing New Under the Sun

We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating path of hate. As Arnold Toynbee says: "Love is the ultimate force that makes for the saving choice of life and good against the damning choice of death and evil. Therefore the first hope in our inventory must be the hope that love is going to have the last word...." We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent coannihilation. We must move past indecision to action. We must find new ways to speak for peace in Vietnam and justice throughout the developing world, a world that borders on our doors. If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight. Those words were spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to a group of clergy and laymen at Riverside Church in New York in 1967. King's message that day was a blistering call for the United States to withdraw its troops from Vietnam and to forsake hate and war for peace. It's amazing how little this country has changed. It's also a shame that a prophet like King was gunned down in his prime. The church in America today desperately needs a new prophetic voice. Sadly, all we've got are Jerry Falwell and James Dobson.