“On this first day of our journey, I invite you to embrace, remember and appreciate the special love God has for us,” he writes in “30-Day Journey with Martin Luther King Jr.”
“Rather than judging and condemning us, God graciously understands our flaws and human limitations. Absolutely nothing can ever separate us from God’s deep love.”
By extending this love, he says, we have the ability to revolutionize the world — and continue on a path that King set forward.
“Overall, his deep commitment to advancing the social gospel and the kingdom of God has inspired and continues to enthuse Christians in their pursuit of justice,” Chism writes.
Chism invites readers to head on that journey, ponder King’s words and be inspired by his thoughts.
More Information
For more information about Jonathan Chism, visit jonathanchism.com. To learn more about the “30-Day Journey,” visit fortresspress.com.
The book includes selections from King’s sermons, speeches and writings, followed by Chism’s own reflections on the civil rights leader’s words.
Each section creates a “day” in the book, allowing the reader to meditate for awhile before heading on to the next chapter.
“It’s not an academic text,” Chism says. “It’s more of a spiritual journey. The idea is for a person to get into the writings and have time for reflection.”
The resulting work is similar to a devotional, he says.
The book is part of publisher Fortress Press’ “30-Day Journey Series,” which explores the thoughts and writings of spiritual leaders in daily, bite-size chunks.
“You want to dive into it,” says Emily Brower, Fortress Press acquisitions editor. “It’s designed to give you five to 10 minutes each day of access to spiritual growth and development. It feels like something you can do.”
The series has focused on St. Hildegard of Bingen, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Dorothy Day. Next year, a release will feature the spiritual wisdom of Jane Austen.
“We try to explore how people can find meaning in their lives,” Brower says. “We also try to take a wide variety of approaches to that.”
Chism was the ideal person to write about King, she says. “He had the experience — and he had a deep, familiarity and love for the figure.”
“Martin Luther King is all the more relevant now, this particular figure in this particular time,” she says. “Understanding the world in different ways is really vital right now.”
Chism agrees. He wrote in his introduction: “Throughout this journey, we will be challenged to acknowledge our human limitations and how challenging it is to reach the high standard of love that God has set for us. We have all fallen short.”
King shows that God’s love is key to overcoming fear and hopelessness, Chism says.
“The key is love, grace and growing a relationship with God,” he says. “Through experiencing God’s love, we can be inspired to love others.”
Chism grew up in Pine Bluff, Ark., and from a young age was entranced by the ministers at his African-American Pentecostal Church, which included his father.
“I was sitting in the front row, listening to the words that the preacher spoke, and it just pulled me in,” Chism recalls. “It touched me so much that I wanted to preach.”
In fact, he was granted the chance to preach his own sermon at age 9.
“I felt very serious about God at a young age,” he says. “I desired to have a closer relationship with him.”
After receiving his bachelor’s degree at Rice University, Chism headed to seminary at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology, where he earned his master’s of divinity degree.
“My dream was to be a pastor and rise to the highest ranks in the church school,” he says.
While at Perkins, however, theological education tugged on his heartstrings.
“I realized that I would love to teach and, one day, equip pastors for ministry,” he says.
He headed back to Rice University to earn his doctorate in 2014.
Chism is also an ordained minister and serves at St. John’s Downtown Church, where he founded and directs the Path to Freedom programs for men and women released from prison. He also founded the Lazarus Project, a community-based support group that helps returning citizens reintegrate into society.
His dissertation also became his first book, “Saints in the Struggle,” released earlier this year. In this work, Chism chronicles the Church of God in Christ members’ engagements in the civil rights movemet in Memphis.
King had delivered his last sermon at that Church’s headquarters, Mason Temple. Chism says he wanted to learn more about the unsung heroes in the congregation who worked for freedom.
Making trips to Memphis and delving into archives and records helped Chism find several activists who were members of the church. He also interviewed individuals who were part of the marches.
“I was surprised by the level of activism,” Chism says. “They didn’t just participate in marches. They were actually leaders. Being able to write about them, being able to reflect on their minds, was inspiring.”
Chism adds that these unsung heroes did not participate in the movement in hopes of gaining recognition.
“They were not in it for the glory,” he says. “They were going to do it anyway. They were in it for the right reasons.”
The author hopes that others who are passionate about a cause do not get discouraged when their voices are not heard or acknowledged.
He believes that King also valued participation — and encouraged others to take a part in making an impact.
In his research for his second book, Chism also discovered that King kept love as the focus of the action.
“Love has to be at the center,” Chism says. “We have to maintain a commitment to loving ourselves, loving God and loving others. If we lose love, we’re not successful.”
King was able to love and forgive even those who wronged him — to make a stand for mercy and grace, Chism says.
“Love is hard,” he adds. “Love can be challenging. We can’t love without divine help, without God’s help and seeing God’s love. We love because God loved us first.”
That love is also essential to maintaining hope, even against all odds, Chism says.
“King had the audacity to continue to dream, to continue to hope,” he says. “There’s a lot in the world today to cause us to lose hope. We have to maintain faith and be people of hope.”
In all that he does, whether preaching at St. John’s Downtown Church, writing a manuscript or leading a lecture at UH-D, Chism wants to inspire hope.
“History is not left in the past, but it has implications for the present,” he says. “I want to inspire students to think about the past and help them recognize their potential.”
Vida Robertson, director of the university’s Center for Critical Race Studies, served on the hiring committee when Chism was applying for his current position. Chism stood out then for his passion and devotion — and remains a top-notch instructor and a valued resource, he says.
“He’s an excellent fit,” Robertson says. “Dr. Chism is an exceptional instructor and advocate for our students. He teaches incredible classes — and an activism comes from that.”
Chism challenges students to seize opportunities, not only in the careers but for the benefit of their communities, too.
“You can get a degree, graduate, move up in life, but we’re saying, do something for the community,” Chism says. “Whether it’s at the church or the academy, I’m encouraging people to recognize their potential to be agents of change.”
He wants each individual to realize their ability to make a difference.
“Together, we can make things happen,” he says. “Often times, it doesn’t take a lot of people. It doesn’t take everybody. A few people can come together and make a commitment, and that can be a force of change. We can do something to make things better.”
At the center is committing to share God’s love, Chism says.
“Just start where you are and begin,” he says. “If we recognize our capacity to become agents of love and conduits of God, we can change the world. Love is revolutionary. And I think that’s King’s message. The justice we are looking for is grounded in love.”
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/houston-belief/article/UH-Downtown-professor-combines-love-of-history-14474056.php
2019-09-30 09:00:00Z
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