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Q: The Covid-19 pandemic highlights gross and growing inequality in America. Do we have reason to hope that things will get better, or was Dr. King truly just dreaming?
A: Thanks for your question. By the way, dreaming is good, especially if it is of righteous things, and is based on the immutable promises of God. Daydreaming on these is especially good, healthy, and is encouraged. God calls this righteous imagination and meditation.
Yes, there clearly is hope for America’s under-privileged citizens, but perhaps not the kind or to the degree folks normally consider, nor the timeframe within which it is needed.
Dr. King, a theologian and pastor, artfully penned and delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech to address the then untenable circumstances of black people in America. He urged the nation to ‘not return to business as usual’ concerning these issues. While much has indeed changed, clearly much more needs to change.
He couched America’s failure to honor its constitutional promises to black people in some of the language God used during an especially harsh upbraiding of ancient Israel for its deepening sinfulness. His phrase, ‘…until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream’, is based on God’s admonition to ancient Israel in Amos 5:24. It would help to read the full chapter, and especially the Book of Amos to understand the context within which God spoke. Israel refused God’s rebukes, continued to deteriorate in sinfulness, and paid heavy prices in judgments. If/as America continues to respond similarly, rest assured, God will continue to judge America. (See Jeremiah 9:23-24 to understand His strategic approach.)
While most people may not recognize it, Dr. King also skillfully built a bridge, so to speak, to the greatest hope yet to come for humanity when he spoke of:
--America transforming ‘to an oasis of freedom and justice’
--Hewing a stone of hope from the mountain of despair
--Looking forward to the day when ‘every valley shall be exalted: every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plane, and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.’
The Bible reveals Jesus is The Stone hewn from the mountains of failed human governance, who will first establish a millennial government of righteousness on this current version of Earth, then an eternal government of righteousness on a final, permanent, new Earth. The last point, a quote from Isaiah 40, will ultimately be fulfilled in the Millennial Reign of Christ on Earth, during which He will rule with a figurative ‘rod of iron’, ensuring Earth, for a while is an oasis of freedom and justice. Revelation 21 and 22 are predictions of the new, permanent Earth.
Ascribing to nations and human governments qualities that only Christ will fulfill …is risky. The risk of this oratorical approach is that the average listener/reader may not understand enough spiritually to distinguish our nation’s ‘now’ from her ‘then’ (presuming America will still exist as a nation in the Millennial Reign). Hoping now for truly glorious things God promises in the Millennial Reign, or in eternity for righteous saints, while encouraging and desperately desired now, will eventually let us down. Moreover, The Bible iteratively urges us to put our greatest hope in things eternal, not in things of this temporal world. Here’s why.
Carnal mankind puts hope mostly in wealth, intellect, relationships, credentials, and material possessions, whereas God says He and Christ are the only hope for humanity because ALL these things (substitutes) will eventually fail, and fail miserably. He has specifically designed life to teach us this lesson – a lesson too many of us fail to learn, however, given our core, sinful human nature.
So will America rise up, become a great nation morally, and live out the true meaning of its creed, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal’? History reveals the consistent failure of human nature to rise equitably and sustainably to Godly righteousness. And even when the oppressed have won victories, they’ve turn around and become oppressors themselves! Moreover, history reveals, even when so-called ‘great nations’ have been harshly judged for gross sinfulness, they still did not learn the lessons! Heads-up: The same thing is predicted to happen in the pending 7-year tribulation period, the fourth age of humanity.
Yet the Day of Hope shall eventually come! Earth shall be filled with the knowledge and glory of God, and the knowledge of His glory. (Numbers 14:21, Isaiah 11:9 and Habakkuk 2:14) Then and only then will He ensure justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. Until then, let’s...
Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart,
all you who hope in The Lord. (Psalm 31:24)
Happy is he who has The God of Jacob for his help,
Happy is he who has The God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope is in The Lord his God. (Psalm 146:5)
