It was really just a small act of defiance. Almost fifty years ago, Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, sparking the civil rights movement in America. Martin Luther King, Jr., called Rosa the “mother of the civil rights movement.” She died Monday (Oct. 24) at the age of 92 of natural causes in Detroit where she had lived for the last fifteen years.

Vivian Malone Jones was one of two black students who crossed through Foster Auditorium on June 11, 1963, to enroll in the University of Alabama after Governor George Wallace’s infamous pledge to “stand in the schoolhouse door.” She went on to become the first black graduate of the University. Mrs. Jones passed away two weeks ago at the age of 63.

These two deaths took our minds back to a difficult, shameful part of our past, but one which holds invaluable lessons for the present. Though I grew up in Alabama, I’m ashamed to admit that I knew little about our struggles with civil rights, including courageous people like Rosa Parks and Vivian Malone, until I enrolled in a class in 1997 at the University of Alabama entitled “Public Address.” What I thought would be a study of public speaking turned out to be a riveting, eye-opening survey of the civil rights movement throughout the South, with an emphasis on events in Alabama. We read Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch and Simple Justice by Richard Kluger. We traced the movements of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the progression of Brown v. Board of Education through the court system. The reading opened my eyes to an era of societal upheaval that I didn’t know existed.

The passing of these women and the movement they symbolized remind us of the importance of remembering our past so as to avoid repeating its mistakes. Here are two spiritual lessons we learn:

Quite often Christians must swim against the current of our culture. Imagine how difficult it must have been for Rosa Parks to stay in her seat and for Vivian Malone to walk that sidewalk in the face of enormous media pressure. In a culture that was guided by ungodly and discriminatory principles, they were willing to “swim against the tide.” In a similar way we must refuse to go along with our culture when it abandons God, whether it’s in the realm of racism and injustice, in the area of the abuse of the sanctity of life, or in the mindless pursuit of godless lusts. If there are injustices in our current society, Christians should be the first to stand up and oppose them (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Jn. 2:15-17). We are for truth, love, and righteousness, regardless of existing external pressures to do otherwise.

God does not look at us according to race. The sin of racism is to discriminate on the basis of the color of one’s skin. When we recognize that societal tendency around us we should be reminded that God looks—not at the outward appearance—but at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). Jesus cares about people’s souls, not their bloodlines (John 4). James urges us to be unmoved by superficial differences (Jam. 2). One of the greatest struggles of the early church centered around ethnicity, a problem to which inspired writers responded with one voice: through the cross Jesus Christ created “one new man in place of the two, so making peace” (Eph. 2:11). Heaven will not be segregated; with one voice we will sing praises to our Redeemer.

Both the church and society have made significant strides in the last fifty years, but we should avoid complacency in our pursuit of oneness in the Lord’s church. As we look to the future, let us renew our commitment to making certain the body of Christ reflects the oneness in Christ made possible by His selfless, unifying act at Calvary.

A great soldier of the cross has passed from this life into eternity. Charles Wendell Winkler, age 74, of Tuscaloosa, AL passed away last Sunday, October 23rd. A long time minister of the church of Christ, brother Winkler preached 61 of his 74 years. He was also known internationally as a “preacher’s preacher," a trainer of preachers, an author of many volumes, a college professor and a traveling evangelist. Please remember the Winkler family in your prayers.

No PM Fellowship
Just a reminder that there will be no monthly PM Fellowship this evening. The fellowship meal is scheduled to be resumed next month on the last Sunday evening unless we are otherwise notified.

" When America ceases to be good, it will cease to be great", said Alexis de Tocqueville. In this statement we are reminded that the greatness of a nation does not rest in its military power, technological advancements, political acumen or its national wealth. A nation's greatness is found in the quotient of its goodness. Solomon said: "righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." (Prov. 14:34) lets not forget the motto of our nation, "in God we trust".