BUIES CREEK – Comparing the life of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the disciples of Jesus Christ, the director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships delivered the sermon at Tuesday morning’s chapel service hosted by Campbell Divinity School.
The Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, who’s also part of the White House’s office of faith-based partnerships, helped kick off Campbell’s Martin Luther King Jr. Week of Service with her sermon, “How did we get here?”
“It’s a tricky question … and it’s not a question about biology, the birds and the bees or what mode of transportation we took to get here,” Girton-Mitchell said. “It’s more of a challenge … know your story. Know why you do the things you do.”
An ordained Baptist minister, Girton-Mitchell told the congregation at Campbell’s Butler Chapel that “how did we get here?” was a question she’s sure King’s followers asked themselves during the Civil Rights Movement.
“Can you imagine being faced by angry dogs; can you imagine being on the other side of the water hoses?” she asked. “Can you imagine the foul language and the beatings that many of these people and their families had to endure? But they were doing it for a united cause … They were willing to stand firm on their morals.”
Girton-Mitchell said King’s message is one the world continues to need to hear today.
“Dr. King’s life is a testament to the kind of faith that is required of dedicated disciples,” she said. “His life is also a testament of what is required of us today. It’s not enough to just know about the problems or feel bad about the problems. We have to find a way to get engaged and become responsible to do something about the nation’s ills.
“If service is the rent we pay to live on earth, is your rent current?”
Campbell’s Week of Service continues Wednesday with a park/stream clean-up in Harnett County. A voter registration drive, interfaith food drive and benefit concert are also scheduled this week.