Dr. King on Serpents and Doves

Daily Reflection: Matthew 10:16 - 1/15/2024

Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. — Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭16‬ ‭‬‬

A few years ago, on another MLK day, I decided that I needed to read more of Dr. King. I realized that most of my knowledge of him was from quotes that popped up on social media, or stuff I learned during Black History Month growing up.

Shame on me.

So I read one of the many biographies on his life, then started in on his published sermons and articles. I was struck by one sermon called “Tough Minds and Tender Hearts.” In it, King, almost prophetically identified what was a need in his day, and is certainly one in ours. That is, our need to think and think deeply, while at the same time offering the kind of mercy — tender heartedness — that identifies the malformation that each human has undergone, before committing to action.

On this MLK day I invite you to read this sermon for yourself; here are some points that struck me when I first read it.

There is little hope for us until we become tough minded enough to break loose from the shackles of prejudice, half-truths, and downright ignorance. The shape of the world today does not permit us the luxury of soft mindedness. A nation or a civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on an installment plan.

Jesus reminds us in a striking way that the good life demands combining the toughness of the serpent with the tenderness of the dove. To have serpent-like qualities devoid of dove-like qualities is to be passionless, mean and selfish. To have dove-like qualities without serpent-like qualities is to be sentimental, anemic and aimless. We must combine in our characters antithesis strongly marked.

God is neither hardhearted nor soft minded. He is tough minded enough to transcend the world; he is tenderhearted enough to live in it. He does not leave us alone in our agonies and struggles. He seeks us in dark places and suffers with us and for us in our tragic prodigality.

King is quotable, eminently so! Sometimes this actually keeps people from really reading or listening to him. Like CS Lewis, he is a preachers or writers best friend. For when we find ourselves stuck, all we need to do is google “What did MLK say about __________?” You will no doubt find a quote that slams your point home, and then some!

But, we must remember, he didn’t set out merely to be quoted, as if he aspired to be a writer or keynote speaker. No, he set out on a journey towards freedom and justice for all. That vision inspired his preaching and writing, he saw them as tools he could use to inspire thoughtful, courageous, and tender hearted action amongst God’s people.

Father, we bless you for your servant, Dr. Martin Luther King jr. He caught your vision of freedom and justice for all and, like many prophetic voices before him, paid the ultimate price for doing so. Grant that we would not rest content with powerful and pithy quotes, but that we would be inspired to action with the tough minds and tender hearts that your Spirit has planted within us. In Jesus name. Amen.

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