Martin Luther King, Jr., “Playboy Interview,” in A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr., ed. James M. Washington. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1991, p. 356.
It disturbed me when I first heard [myself described as an extremist.] But when I began to consider the true meaning of the word, I decided that perhaps I would like to think of myself as an extremist – in the light of the spirit which made Jesus an extremist for love. If it sounds as though I am comparing myself to the Savior, let me remind you that all who honor themselves with the claim of being “Christians” should compare themselves to Jesus. Thus I consider myself an extremist for that brotherhood of man which Paul so nobly expressed: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Love is the only force on earth that can be dispensed or received in an extreme manner, without any qualifications, without any harm to the giver or receiver.
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In an era in which religious extremism has become associated with terrorism and intolerance, thoughtful people of faith may find themselves avoiding anything that smacks of extremism. Yet King reminds us that true faith sometimes asks us to become extremists for love and that the world can be changed and made more loving by extremism. Jesus’s message is very radical, and those who want to act in his name must sometimes boldly take on Jesus’s radical nature.
Loving God, help me to dispense and receive love in an extreme manner, without any qualifications.
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