Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
By Louise Jonsson
On Monday, January 20, over 200 people filled the Church of the Mediator in the Northwest Bronx for the Bronx Council’s annual celebration in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The celebration took the form of an Interfaith Offering of Prayer for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation. Each year the event is hosted by one of the three Bronx Interparish Councils, and this year the Northwest Bronx hosted.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine for the first time on May 17, 1956, in a service of prayer and thanksgiving on the second anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education.Photo courtesy of WAYNE KEMPTON, Archives
The shofar, the Adhan Islamic call to prayer, and the Christian words, “O God, make speed to save us. O Lord, make haste to help us,” called all of Abraham’s children to worship — Jewish, Muslim and Christian. A recorded excerpt from Dr. King’s speech at the 1968 March on Washington followed. The Rev. Frank L. Knight, Mediator’s rector, then welcomed all who had come to pay homage to Dr. King and his legacy. Reflections on the life and influence of Dr. King and readings from their respective sacred texts were offered by Brother James M. Oqlah and Sheikh Hamud Alsilwi of the Bronx Muslim Center, Rabbi Eric M. Solomon of the Congregation Tehillah, Mr. Curt Collier of the Riverdale – Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture and the Ven. Michael S. Kendall of the Episcopal Diocese of New York.
Four young people representing the Bronx Youth Ministry — Labesha King, Brandon Williams, Kareem Carr and Shoy Colburne — served as intercessors during the prayers offered for all people of the world. Then Shetima Carr, Asha Isaac and Alisa Osborne, also members of the Bronx Youth Ministry performed a Song and Dance of Praise and Supplication. An offering was collected for the Bronx Council’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Fund, which offers a stipend each year to graduating high school seniors of the Episcopal Diocese from the Bronx who have been accepted into an accredited college program. The service closed with a prayer in Spanish and English by the Rev. Diego Delgado-Miller of the Northwest Bronx Hispanic Ministry.
People packed the Church of the Mediator, Bronx, for the service on January 20 that honored the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Photo by MARY BETH DISS
After the service, everyone was invited to the Undercroft, where The Rev. Masud I. Syedullah, priest-in-charge at the Church of the Atonement in the Bronx, presented some questions for reflection and discussion:
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What is it about Dr. King that attracts you?
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When did you first hear about Dr. King’s work and how did you feel about it at the time? Have your feelings changed since then? If so, in what ways?
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In what ways can the ideas of Dr. King be of help to us in our present day? How do his principles apply to the situations we face today in our communities? In our country? In international affairs?
After 20 minutes, the participants were asked to respond. Many people said that they believed Dr. King’s message of non-violence is one of his most important. Others mentioned the importance of making the country and world aware of the injustices suffered by people of color. And these injustices need to be addressed by everyone, others added. It was also noted that, although we have come far, we still have far to go to overcome hate and prejudice. Many people expressed fear and dread of a possibility of war with Iraq. There was almost unanimous agreement that terrorism and violence cannot be solved with more violence and war.
The discussion was followed by a luncheon provided by the Bronx churches. It was a celebration and tribute that Dr. King “as he looks down on us today must approve.”
