On January 15th we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, and our students celebrated his life throughout the subsequent week. I’ll share a couple photos from some of the activities they did a little further down in this message.
As a Reformed school, the name Martin Luther holds significance for us. Martin Luther is known for the 16th century Protestant Reformation, in which Luther, a monk who followed the strictest possible lifestyle, yet still never felt secure in his salvation, stood for a return to Scripture and teaching that salvation only comes through the life and death of Christ. Luther came to know that he could not earn right standing with God. No matter how “good” he was, he could never be good enough.
The Reformers' “Five Solas” became the hallmark of the Reformation, and are truths we still stand upon today.
sola scriptura (Scripture alone)
solus Christus (Christ alone)
sola fide (faith alone)
sola gratia (grace alone)
soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone)
We know that Luther's conclusion that salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone is true, and the foundation upon which we build our lives. Our students sing this truth in chapel through the Getty’s hymn In Christ Alone.
Dr. King’s father, Martin Luther King, Sr., was so captivated by this thought and his respect for Martin Luther that he changed his name, and he changed his five-year-old son’s name, in honor of the Protestant Reformation leader. Thus Michael Luther King, Jr. became Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whom we honor to this day.
Much as Martin Luther stood for truth and a return to God’s way in a time when the church had been corrupted by worldly thought and sin, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. beckoned Americans to take a God-honoring approach to human dignity and diversity. Dr. King knew that Scripture teaches that we are all one in Christ; skin color must not divide us, gender must not divide us, social status must not divide us. The Body of Christ is meant to be diverse; indeed heaven will be the most diverse Church upon which we will ever lay eyes. And we are called and required to honor one another as Image bearers.
This is a truth we stand for at Summit Christian School, and one we continue to try to impress upon our children. Here are some of the ways we celebrated this great man and important truth:
Students in many grade levels read passages about Dr. MLK, Jr. and watched short videos about his life and impact. Some classes did written responses, and all grade levels had important discussions about this great man.
Our prayer as a school is that just as Dr. King stood for truth and justice, we will be a people who stand for the same. We want to be a school that sees the value in the individual, the value in diversity, and the God-given responsibility to honor others who, though different from us, are made in God’s image and worthy of honor.
soli Deo gloria