The King of Peace

Martin Luther King Day to most folks these days means no mail delivery, and the banks, schools, and libraries aren't open. It has meant a relatively peaceful, uneventful day for me. Thank you for that, Mr. King. Peace was your middle name, wasn't it?

I have vague memories of Martin Luther King, Jr. coming to my hometown of St. Augustine, Florida in the sixties. My dad was serving as a deputy sheriff at the time, and I remember there being some dangerous duty he was being called for, but details beyond that were not shared on the homefront. We lived ten miles out of town, so were pretty much out of the news loop. Years later, we learned that Dad was asked by the sheriff to guard Martin Luther King while he was in town. Dad seemed to think he was asked because he was the only "yankee" on the force at the time, so was the only one the sheriff trusted to do it.

Obviously, Mr. King did not have a sterling reputation among the whites of St. Augustine in those days. We were a very, very segregated town. As a matter of fact, I recall seeing very few blacks, downtown or elsewhere. I was astounded to learn of the high percentage of blacks who were living there at the time. I mostly heard that they had their own beach, that they were allowed to sit in the balcony of the only movie theater in town, and that there were black neighborhoods "somewhere," but I was not privy where. You just better not get stranded in one inadvertantly.

It wasn't until I was in high school that the schools began the integration process. And it started with just a handful of black students in the beginning. Tensions were high. I remember one time in the cafeteria there was almost a riot when some food got slung at somebody. Not exactly peaceful times. It took me years, as an adult away from the South, not to feel nervous if a black man stepped into an elevator with me. It just did not feel safe.

Today, the situation has improved, but we are still a country greatly divided. Jesus Himself said, "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:" Luke 12:51 We can have inner peace with Christ in our hearts, but only in the New Earth will we be able to live a truly peaceful life without division. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

http://www.crmvet.org/info/staug.htm    Here's some more information about the events in St. Augustine, if you're interested.