#8: What Shall I Do With My Life?

This week's reading is a sermon given my Dr. Howard Thurman in 1939 based upon Matthew 4:1-11. Thurman was born in the south in 1899 and grew up in the time of segregation and civil rights. Throughout his life, Thurman has written 20 books as well as being a prominent philosopher, theologian and educator. Thurman has ties to many other famous civil rights leaders, such as Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This particular piece was given around the end of the Great Depression and the beginning of WWII. Among all this destruction and chaos, is was easy for people to start losing faith, so one of the main questions was "How do I simply live as a Christian?"

In Matthew 4: 1-11, Jesus was tempted by the devil three times. On the third attempt, the devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would follow him instead. Jesus later went to his disciples to warn them of the struggles they would face spreading the Word to all people. For, in order for the world to truly be saved, all souls must be made clean and people must become disciples of God. In this sermon though, Thurman argues that it is not merely the soul that must be saved, but relationships as well. He also states that these must be done separately or else they will not be under conscious judgmental of God.

Though he does not say anything directly about Christianity in the public square, the quotes he used did. As Jesus was warning his disciples, he said "Rejoice when men persecute you for my sake, for it means that you are making inroads on territory that is foreign to the will of God." Essentially, he is saying to speak the word of God freely and with compassion. He also quotes Jesus telling the disciples to be both wise and harmless. In the public square today, this means educating yourself on your faith, but to not offend or harm anyone in the process. No wonder Thurman and Gandhi got along so well!.  .