“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.  Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.”

This is the Friday before we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend and the federal holiday on Monday.  There is an entire generation of our workforce who never knew that there was a time when we didn’t celebrate this coming day.  1968 is beyond their comprehension and the early 1990’s when the holiday was being accepted across the states is before their time too.  And for them, MLK Day might as well be President’s Day or some other federal holiday that we let come and go.  But, it is not a day that should be just passed because this day we remember is a day of a journey which we have yet to reach the destination.  Dr. King spoke, wrote and preached on many subjects, and he was as passionate about peace as he was about poverty and racial equality.  He sought a peaceful world and he challenged us then and now to do our part.  For us to really celebrate and honor him on Monday, we must be also seeking peace today in all aspects of our work, civic engagement and life.  It is not an easy set of choices to make as Dr. King demonstrated in his life and death.

The scripture we are given in 1 Timothy is as about as clear as we can find in the Bible.  We are to pray for our leaders and give thanks for them.  And we do this so that they, and we, can find peace in our country and lives.  While we honor Dr. King this long weekend, let’s also rededicate ourselves to the prayers that Paul prescribes.  It is a foundational part to be done in bringing peace.

PwK will be back on Tuesday. Until the, peace be with you.

Reference: 1 Timothy 2: 1-2 (New Living Translation)