On April 3-4, 2018, in Memphis, TN The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and The Gospel Coalition hosted a special event titled “MLK50: Gospel Reflections from the Mountaintop,” to reflect on the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s tragic death.
The 50th anniversary of King’s tragic death marked an opportunity for Christians to reflect on the state of racial unity in the church and the culture. It created the occasion to reflect on where Christians have been and look ahead to where we must go as we pursue racial unity in the midst of tremendous tension.
Key speakers included Charlie Dates, Matt Chandler, Jackie Hill Perry, Eric Mason, Russell Moore, Trip Lee, John Piper, Benjamin Watson, and many others.
Jeremy, my parents, and I had the privilege of attending the conference! We truly felt honored to be there! It was such an impactful conference.
You can go here to listen to all of the keynote sessions and workshops. I highly encourage you to listen!
We stayed an extra day in Memphis and really enjoyed visiting the National Civil Rights Museum. If you're ever in Memphis, this is a must see!
Here are just a few quotes that I jotted down during the conference….
"The church is multiethnic, we don't need to 'make it' multiethnic. The evangelical movement needs to evangelize but it also needs to be evangelized." - Russell Moore
"Despair without hope leads to more sin." - Russell Moore
"Christians have created a segregated church." - Charles Dates
"Justice is the offspring of righteousness. Justice and righteousness must stay united." - Charles Dates
"To care about injustice is to do something about it. The generations are always teaching" - Jackie Hill Perry
"We have to take hope seriously enough to stay involved. The darkness has an expiration date, not the lightness. We are running in a winning race." - Mika Edmonson
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - MLK
"We won't remember the words of our enemy; we will remember the silence of our friends. The Bible demands we pursue unity." - Eric Mason
"Ignorance leads to immaturity which leads to hostility or withdrawal." - Matt Chandler
"Has my caring turned into action? Do you care enough to sacrifice something (power, comfort, position)?" - Trip Lee
"The key to unity is humility." - H.B. Charles
"It's because we see all our differences we see His glory." - John Piper
These quotes are just a sampling. I was so moved and challenged and burdened and inspired and grieved. How I long for Christ's return!
"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, andto the Lamb!” - Revelation 7:9-10
We also enjoyed some good food and music while we were in Memphis!
