On the eve of our presidential inauguration, we consider the question of what would Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. say to the nation. Rev. Shockley uses King’s own words from his 1968 sermon titled The Drum Major Incident. King used passages from Mark in his sermon. We can relate these to Trump.
The first passage involves a rich man who asked Jesus what does he need to do to be great. Jesus tells him to follow the Commandments, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, and honor thy parents. The rich man replied that he has done these things. Jesus then tells him to sell all his possessions, give the money to the poor, and come follow him. The rich man was sad because he had many things. In another passage, James and John ask Jesus to place them on his right and left side in heaven. Jesus replied that it is only for those for which it has been prepared. King goes on to describe the drum major incident as a part of the human personality that craves attention and/or praise. Everyone has this trait to some degree. While we are born with this need, as we grow, we must learn to harness it.
Everyone know someone who brags and boasts. Problems occur when a person cannot control this need. It can distort their personality. They begin to push others down in order to push themselves up. Vicious gossip and racial prejudice occurs. An example is the racial superiority some whites feel. As long as they are white, they are somebody. America is not great because we are rich or have a great military, we are great because we are drum majors for justice, love, and service.