The Power of Values
Word From Wiese
January 21, 2026
Friends in Faith,
First, let me quickly note I’m very pleased COS hosted guests from all over our four-state synod this past Saturday for a Prayer & Praise event in light of MLK weekend. Our Fellowship Hall packed with people as we challenged ourselves to ask how we keep striving for justice for our nation and neighbors.
Secondly, let me ask you: How do you decide what is right in America? What I love about Martin Luther King’s approach was that he relentlessly pointed us to the best values of both our country and Christian faith. Coming off our nation’s honoring Monday King’s leadership, I invite you to remember with me how King braided together two moral pathways: the vision and values of both Scripture and America’s founding ideals. Below are some of my favorite examples as he called our nation to repentance, renewal and a brighter way.
A. Examples of Dr. King Calling Us to Live into America’s Founding Documents and Values
1) “I Have a Dream” — The Promissory Note
King’s words:
“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note… that all men, yes, Black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Founding source:
Declaration of Independence (1776):
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal… endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”
2) Letter from Birmingham Jail — Constitutional Rights
King’s words:
“The Negro has waited more than 340 years for his constitutional and God-given rights.”
Founding source:
U.S. Constitution, 14th Amendment (1868):
“No State shall… deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
3) “Our God Is Marching On!” — Lincoln Memorial
King’s words:
“Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.”
Founding source:
Emancipation Proclamation (1863):
“That all persons held as slaves… shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”
4) “Give Us the Ballot” — Voting Rights
King’s words (1957):
“Give us the ballot, and we will no longer have to worry the federal government about our basic rights.”
Founding source:
U.S. Constitution, 15th Amendment (1870):
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied… on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
5) Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech
King’s words (1964):
“I accept this award on behalf of a movement… committed to justice, equality, and peace… I still believe that standing up for the truth of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution is the best hope of mankind.”
B. Examples of Dr. King Calling Us to Align with God’s Word
1) “I Have a Dream” — Amos 5:24 & Isaiah 40:4–5
King’s words (August 28, 1963):
“We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
“Every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low… and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”
Scripture sources:
- Amos 5:24 (NRSV): “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
- Isaiah 40:4–5 (NRSV): “Every valley shall be lifted up… Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together.”
2) Letter from Birmingham Jail — Just and Unjust Laws
King’s words (April 16, 1963):
“One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”
Theological source:
St. Augustine, On Free Choice of the Will:
“An unjust law is no law at all.”
3) “The Drum Major Instinct” — Mark 10:43–45
King’s words (February 4, 1968 sermon):
“He who is greatest among you shall be your servant… That’s the new definition of greatness.”
Scripture source:
Mark 10:43–45 (NRSV):
“Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant… For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.”
4) “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution” — Good Samaritan
King’s words (March 31, 1968):
“The first question the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But the Good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’”
Scripture source:
Luke 10:25–37
Reflection Questions:
- What values do I use to help guide my life?
- What’s one example today of a gap between what our faith teaches and policies enacted?
- What “promissory note” of justice in our community still needs to be honored?
- Who is lying wounded by the roadside today and how might God be calling me to cross the road?
In Christ’s hope,
Pastor Fritz
Let us pray: God of justice and mercy, thanks for brave voices like Dr. King’s, reminding us that you created every person in your image and breathed dignity into every life. Give us courage to speak truth when silence is easier, to seek justice when comfort tempts us to wait, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. May we help our nation live into its highest ideals, until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. In Jesus’ name, Amen.