Introduction
Martin Luther King Jr compiled information from the bible to form his “Paul’s letters to American Christians”, which targeted American churches. According to King, Paul wrote his letters in Ephesus, the city of Greek (Dixon et al. 20). In his letter, Paul proclaimed faith by preaching about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which gave Christians everlasting life, and he preached this to make them strengthen their faith. The author’s thesis was to ensure American Christians understood how to stay faithful to their values in a changing and secular world experiencing technological and scientific innovation changes.
Themes
Racism
Paul identified racism and stated that it destroys the unity of the church. He pointed out that those fighting for justice and equality should fight for the rights of everyone, whether white or black (Dixon et al. 19). The author elaborates that racism results in additional issues such as poor access to essential services and conflicts in schools, workplaces, or even at home. This theme is important to the story because it motivates the reader to preach against racism by telling Christians and non-Christians about its effects.
Love
In the letter, Paul stated that love is the greatest power that God gives to Christians all over the world. He went ahead and quoted John’s words, “God is love”, and insisted that for God to bless them, they must love one another (MLK 00:10:23-00:16:56). Exercising love brings about more peace among Christians and helps prevent fights. Talking about love is important in the story as it inspires the church members to do things out of love and care for each other.
Division of the Church
Paul mentioned that Christians in America had split the Protestant church into more than 256 denominations against God’s will. He reminded them that the church was a body of Christ and should be respected and urged them to stop fighting each other (Dixon et al. 18). He urged Americans to consider unity and to avoid being controlled by capitalism, although they are the richest country. Unity is important in a country because it helps things run smoothly as people can reason together and make the right decisions. Using this theme in the letter helps Christians understand the importance of being united.
Analysis
Strengths and Weakness
The information and the letter are well documented in easily accessible means in modern times. The original audio is available in sources such as YouTube, where anyone can listen to the message. The letter had a great contribution to the historical understanding of what happened in America, especially when racism and discrimination were rampant (Dixon et al. 18). The original documentation of the letter was through methods that were available in the 1950s and in writing. One of the weaknesses of the letter was a lack of focus on how Christians should interact with people from other religions. While the letter aimed at informing Christians about their role in the world, guidance on relating with individuals with diverse beliefs would have been crucial in preaching the establishment of a peaceful existence. The type of documentation used was of great help because letters were the most used writing style, which made it easier to pass the information.
Conclusion
The letter defended the author’s thesis as it clearly states Paul’s message to Christians in America and elaborates further to help the reader to understand the theme well. The author aimed to show how Christians are lured into losing their values in pursuit of earthly possessions. An example includes where Martin Luther King acknowledges that what he is using to preach is from Paul’s letter to the Christians and does not read it as his work. Further, the author has elaborated that despite the technological advancement, people still do not value their neighbors’ existence. Additionally, racism and discrimination persistence in many individuals who perceive themselves as Christian is another example. Therefore, it is true that it has largely contributed to the body of the existing literature.
Works Cited
Dixon, Thomas P. “Dr. King and Martin Luther on Law: Politics, Theology, and Captivity.” Black Theology 19.1 (2021): 18-31.
MLK: Paul’s Letter to American ChristiansYouTube, uploaded by The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent, Web.