Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Howard Thurman

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have not yet written the section in Chapter 5 about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the parables, but here, in honor of Dr. King Day, are the titles of three sermons/speeches that I will consider including in the book:

• “Why didn't They Stop?” (on the Good Samaritan)
• “The Impassable Gulf” (on the Rich Man and Lazarus)
• “The Seeking God” (on the Lost Sheep). 

Instead of discussing Dr. King in the book, however, I may focus on someone who is not particularly well-known but who should be: Dr. Howard Thurman. Dr. Thurman was a friend and classmate of Dr. King's father (at Morehouse College), and Dr. Thurman became a mentor to Dr. King (and many others).

Some of Dr. Thurman's sermons on the parables may be found here: http://hgar-srv3.bu.edu/web/howard-thurman/virtual-listening-room/results?query=subj:376058

I am grateful to my friend and colleague, Dr. Kipton Jensen, who sent me the above resource. Dr. Jensen is a professor at Morehouse College and a Thurman scholar.

Finally, I want to add that the Pierce Institute of Leadership and Community Engagement at Oxford College of Emory University tries to live according to Dr. King's words that he wrote while a student at Morehouse College in 1947:

We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education.

Later today I will post about (the Reformation's) Martin Luther and the parables in the continuing series on Luther.