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What Kind of Extremist?

Stacey Brady

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Yesterday was the day of commemoration for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an American Baptist minister, activist, and political philosopher who courageously led the civil rights movement. This amazing man inspired hundreds of thousands and continues to inspire those who dare to dream of making a difference through peaceful determination to seek justice and equality for all people.


I appreciated a devotion that landed in my inbox with excerpts from Dr. King’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail:




But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I

continued to think about the matter I gained a measure of satisfaction from the label.

Was not Jesus an extremist for love … Amos an extremist for justice … Paul an

extremist for the Christian gospel … Was not Martin Luther an extremist …

Abraham Lincoln … And Thomas Jefferson: “We hold these truths to be self-evident,

that all men are created equal …” So the question is not whether we will be extrem-

ists, but what kind of extremists we will be. …


Today in our history we are witnessing many other extremists taking center stage. Billionaires are vying for power in our politics. There are people of varying faiths using their faith traditions to extort followers. There are terrorists encouraging hatred and violence. There are weapons of mass destruction being guided by world leaders killing tens of thousands. Extremism at its worst.


But on this day when we pause to remember a world leader of peace and resistance, let us ask ourselves, what kind of extremist will we be? We have the potential to be extremely influential and to make a tremendous impact. Let us use our gifts and resources to change someone or something and make it better, extremely better, for the sake of the world!

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