Remembering the life, work, and message of Martin Luther King Jr. — preacher, peacemaker, prophet.
UrbanFaith celebrates the Martin Luther King Jr. Day with this special photo gallery from Life.com. King, the champion of justice and civil rights, said this upon the acceptance of his Nobel Peace Prize in 1964:
I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.
And King, the preacher and prophet, wrote this in his 1963 book, Strength to Love:
The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.
As we celebrate the legacy of MLK, let us not fail to remember his message of justice, peace, and unconditional love.
See the gallery below to preview photos from the life of MLK. Visit Life.com to view them in full detail.