Martin Luther King Jr: Violence is the language of the unheard
Psalm 64[1]
1–2 Lord, can’t you hear my cry, my bitter complaint?
Keep me safe from this band of criminals and
from the conspiracy of these wicked men.
They gather in their secret counsel to destroy me.
3–4 Can’t you hear their slander, their lies?
Their words are like poison-tipped arrows shot from the shadows.
They are unafraid and have no fear of consequences.
5 They set their traps against us in secret;
they strengthen one another, saying,
“No one can see us. Who can stop us?”
They’re nothing more than unruly mobs joined in their unholy alliance,
6 searching out new opportunities to pervert justice—
deceivers scheming together their ill-conceived plot
as they plan the “perfect crime.”
How unsearchable is their endless evil,
trying desperately to hide the deep darkness of their hearts.
7 But all the while God has his own fire-tipped arrows!
Suddenly, without warning, they will be pierced and struck down.
8 Staggering backward they will be destroyed
by the very ones they spoke against.
All who see this will view them with scorn.
9 Then all will stand awestruck over what God has done,
seeing how he vindicated the victims of these crimes.
10 The lovers of God will be glad, rejoicing in the Lord.
They will be found in his glorious wrap-around presence,
singing songs of praise to God!
Suddenly, without warning: victims of crimes vindicated; hearts of darkness struck down by God’s arrows. What are we to make of this psalm? And how can we hear its message of wrongs righted? And with what lens from the news of the day can we read it?
There is only one news story that can beat coronavirus off the front pages – and it is the unfolding drama of the age old stain of racism and the cry of protest that has now spread to cities across the world – not just the USA – following the killing a week ago today of George Floyd.
I woke this morning to hear the voice on my radio of Martin Luther King Jr III – the son of the great non-violent civil rights campaigner and preacher. It was the assassination of his father in the spring of 1968 that sparked the last sustained series of violent race riots comparable to these now being experienced in scores of cities across the United States. King quoted his father on Radio 4’s Today programme who spoke out against rioting in the 1960s. ‘Violence is the language of the unheard,’ he reminded us.
Researching more about that quote, this is what I found Martin Luther King Jr said. He consistently spoke out against violent protest. He stood against Black Power, the movement which wanted justice by vigorous protest and the overturning of the powerful status quo. King said riots were self-defeating and socially destructive. But he contended that summer protests would continue. It was white America which would determine how long the protests would take.
It is worthy quoting him in full from an interview on on September 27th 1966: ‘But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the economic plight of the negro poor has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquillity and the status quo than about justice and humanity.”
King did not condone violence. But his interpretation from 54 years ago of the nature of riot as a ‘language of the unheard’ is powerfully persuasive.
Psalm 64 is the bitter complaint of one who has been subjected to a conspiracy (vs1) whose lies are like poisoned arrows (vs3) and fear no consequences for their outrageous actions. ‘No one can see, who can stop us,’ they say (vs5). Yet, in the midst of this fearful campaign of a perversion of justice and ill-conceived plot (vs6), suddenly God acts (vs7). And the victims of this undeserved plot are vindicated (vs9). Not by human violence, nor by human retaliation, but by God’s sudden move are the powers that be (a dark heart of an unholy alliance of powers ) brought down low. That is the promise and the prayer of this political poem from 3000 years ago. And all who see it will be awestruck by God.
Prayer is an undeniably powerful weapon at our disposal. Violence is not an option. Neither is silence. And speaking as a white, middleclass, privileged, middle-aged man I too hear King’s analysis and squirm uncomfortably. For King, speaking then speaks now just as clearly. In our time we who have power and privilege need to be humble and listen to the pain of our BAME brothers and sisters. Connectivity not division is the mindset. Seeking ways through the pain that do not lead to more pain is the approach. Our response to this abominable act across the world is a sign of the transformative change humanity longs for.
We should not pray for tranquillity. We must pray and protest for peace with justice. We cannot want a return to the status quo. (If the pandemic has taught us anything it is that we do not return to what was). No. We are called to stand for humanity and justice.
And may those who hold to a supremacist agenda of any kind be struck dumb by the generous love of God whose fiery arrows reveal truth and can change hearts even in these most divisive of times. After confrontation can come transformation.
[1]
The Passion Translation (TPT) The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017 by
BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC. Used by permission. All rights reserved. thePassionTranslation.com
Black lives matter” said Health Secretary Matt Hancock at today’s Downing Street briefing on coronavirus. A report from Public Health England tells us what we already knew that people from ethnic minorities are at a higher risk of dying from the virus. Why this is the case is being researched but the Health Secretary said he felt a "deep responsibility because this pandemic has exposed huge disparities in the health of our nation”. The injustice of inequalities in health, employment, housing, income and more must be transformed if the words “Black lives matter” aren’t to become a meaningless soundbite. We pray these words lead to transformative action.
ReplyDeletePs 64 is a pleading for God to “hear my prayer” and ends with a conviction that God does indeed see and hear and acts to protect the faithful. When bitter and sharp tongues have attacked with words which discourage, pull down, falsely accuse, or seek to trap or stir up division, the psalmist shows us a way to respond is to take our complaint to God who hears it all and will act. This has reminded me of an intercession response that one faithful servant at my church used to use regularly:
“The Lord hears our prayer” to which we all responded “Thanks be to God.”