By Blake Hollingsworth | Staff Writer
Famous for his mid-20th century activism, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was also a devout Christian. Rooted in a family tradition of ministry, King’s identity was ultimately tied to his calling as a preacher.
“King’s values and philosophy of nonviolence stemmed from his Christian upbringing,” Dr. Tyshawn Gardner, associate professor of preaching at George W. Truett Theological Seminary, said.
“The hope in Christ is what shaped him,” Gardner said. “His message and methods of activism were deeply rooted in the Bible, the ministry of Jesus and, of course, the prophets.”
Gardner said that historical injustices still negatively impact African Americans today, keeping King’s teachings relevant.
“I want to help people who would say, ‘Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps,’ or ‘Let’s just forget about slavery,’” Gardner said. “No, I want you to understand that the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow still has devastating effects — economic disenfranchisement and the loss of generational wealth — and at the root of racism and injustice is greed.”
Dr. Stephen Reid, vice provost for faculty diversity and belonging, fosters equity at Baylor by “facilitating the flourishing of underrepresented faculty,” according to the Office of the Provost.
Reid said the concept of diversity is supported by the Bible, citing the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) as an example. According to Reid, the organization’s executive director preached that “the great commandment says, ‘love God with all your heart, with all your might.’ The second commandment is to ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“For the BGCT, ‘loving your neighbor means loving folks who are different from you, not just loving folks who are like you,’” Reid said. “[The executive director] went on to say, ‘We recognize that the Gospel says to go out to all ethnic groups, making them disciples.’ So at Baylor, we pay attention to diversity not because of political pressure, but because Jesus says it’s important.”
Echoing this, Gardner urges students to engage in conversations with those different from themselves to understand various perspectives.
“Diversify your circle,” Gardner said. “Don’t live in a silo. Communicate, talk to and listen to people who are of different ethnicity, race and political party.”
Furthermore, Gardner said the best way students can honor King is to listen to others’ experiences with an open mind.
“People’s experiences are real,” Gardner said. “People are not just making things up. I would encourage young people to listen, pray for a heart of compassion and to study history from multiple points of view. A person can study history written by the oppressor and there will be a denial of the human experience.”
Similarly, Reid calls for students to act as a “good Samaritan” by showing compassion to others, regardless of its popularity.
“In biblical times, a Samaritan was not a well-regarded person, but the Samaritan is the one that shows compassion for their neighbor,” Reid said. “So the story of the good Samaritan really pushes us to an intercultural competency. It pushes us to really listen to other people in ways that are pretty uncomfortable and sometimes not very popular.”
