95 Theses for Christian Racial & Ethnic Unity: #16

“By its very nature, hate destroys and tears down; by its very nature, love creates and builds up.  Love transforms with redemptive power. . . .Love is the most durable power in the world.  This creative force, so beautifully exemplified in the life of our Christ, is the most potent instrument available in mankind’s quest for peace and security. . . .May we solemnly realize that we shall never be true sons of our heavenly Father until we love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  [L]ove is mankind’s most potent weapon for personal and social transformation.  True integration will be achieved by true neighbors who are willingly obedient to unenforceable obligations.” 

Martin Luther King, Jr., “On Being a Good Neighbor” (p. 38) and “Loving Your Enemies,” (p. 54, 56-57), Strength to Love (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1981 [1963]). 

[Read the Introduction to 95 Theses for Christian Racial & Ethnic Unity here.]