The notion of Beloved Community struck the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King early in his work in the civil rights movement and continued to expand over time. It is very gratifying to think that a thought or an idea, that one might have in their 20’s, could grow and mature over time and become something more than a thought or an idea – but rather an ethos or ethic in how to live a life.
As I have spent many years in research reading and writing about Dr. King, I began to form my own thoughts and notions about Belovedness and Community. First off, is Beloved Community a noun or a verb? Take a breath before you answer. It could be … wait. Well… perhaps both? Grammarians of the world unite, debate and think, which is it?
The essential root of the word Beloved is Love. And we know the debate over that word- is it a noun or verb? For King, The Beloved Community is reconciliation achieved – a profound human connectedness, a transcendent harmony and love among all people.
So it is from the text this week from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah gives voice to a God who has raised up beloved people to lead and to share God’s preferred present and future. What is God’s preference? Beloved Community that proclaims justice, if you will, “a transcendent harmony and love among all the people.” Justice both as noun and verb! In our modern context, we as United Methodist’s share this “belovedness” across our connection in engagements of special offerings for others.
An example is the Human Relations Day Offering. Human Relations Day is one of six churchwide Special Sundays with offerings of The United Methodist Church. Human Relations Day calls United Methodists to recognize the right of all God’s children in realizing their potential as human beings in relationship with one another.
The special offering benefits neighborhood ministries through Community Developers, community advocacy through United Methodist Voluntary Services, and work with at-risk teens through the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program. In 2023, we have added the special offerings to our budget to extent our reach. However, you can still make a contribution, but make sure it is marked appropriately for our Finance Office.