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| January 17, 2022 |
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Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. envisioned our world as God’s beloved community. We honor his vision for a more just and peaceful world when we greet each other at Santa Clara with his expression, taken from the Gospel of John - beloved community. We also celebrate our Catholic and Jesuit values, being women and men for others, when we seek to become God's beloved community. With the many events celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King this weekend, I am reminded of his challenging sermon entitled “A Knock at Midnight.” Reflecting on Luke 11: 5-6, he asks: “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.’” In the remainder of the sermon Dr. King admonishes his listeners to care for the deep hunger of those in our world who suffer in isolation and invisibility. He asks: Would we dare say to a friend in need, “I have no bread for you”? Is that the limit of our obligation? Or are we, like the one who knocks at midnight searching for bread for a friend, doing all that we can to alleviate the suffering caused by social and structural injustice? In the sermon's text, we also recognize our situation as Dr. King describes the national mood in the 1960’s, the racial strife boiling in American cities and nuclear threats among the nations. “It is also midnight in the world today. The darkness is so deep that we hardly see which way to turn. … The greatest challenge facing the church today is to keep the bread fresh and remain a Friend to [all people] at midnight.” Dr. King’s sermon concludes with a note of hope: “Midnight is only a temporary development in the cycle of life's day.” He reminds the community about the victorious legislation that ended bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama. “The night before we were in a confusing midnight, but now daybreak had come.” We too are experiencing midnight: the midnight of yet another Covid surge; the midnight of our fraying social relationships; and the midnight of our collective and individual disappointments. We are also hungry for justice. We are hungry to connect with each other, hungry to be free from pandemic isolation and anxiety, and hungry to find a welcoming human community. On this momentous holiday marking the contribution of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., let us become a beloved community and a nourishing presence for one another. Let us allow Dr. King's prophetic witness for justice and his trust in God’s grace to light our way in today’s midnight times. May we be the friend at midnight who is both vigilant and compassionate. May we be light for one another to help build a beloved community.
On behalf of the staff and students of the Office of Campus Ministry, the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education, and the Mission Church, we offer all of the members of our beloved SCU community our prayers and profound hope as we celebrate the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. together. In gratitude and hope, Alison M. Benders |
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