Three Men

 

Three men in history stand out to me.  These three men had several things in common. All three men espoused the same message. All three men made significant changes to history. All three men met violent deaths. All three men are remembered today. All three men have testimonials about their exploits. The first man is remembered through the written word. The second man is best remembered through a dramatic movie about his life.  The third man is best remembered via a documentary movie about his exploits. One man had probably been a carpenter before becoming an itinerant preacher.  The second man was a lawyer.  The third man was a church minister.

Each man made a difference through the message of non-violence.

The first man was a Jew. He said things such as, “Turn the other cheek” and “Do unto others as would have them do unto you”. His story is told in the New Testament of the Bible. His message formed the foundation for a new religion which spread and is now the most populous religion on the planet.

The second man was a Hindu. His legacy is best told through the movie entitled with his name. His message of non-violence produced the most populous democracy in the world.

The third man was a Protestant Christian. He was one of the best orators of the 20^th century. The best way to see him is in a documentary movie that was rarely shown until recently. His crusade was for equal rights for his race in a country that had a lot of hatred of his people. His legacy is two important pieces of US law, the Civils Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act. Unfortunately, both of these acts are under attack just now.

I’m sure you’ve guest by now that the first man is Jesus of Nazareth. His attempt to reform Judaism led to the formation of the Christian religion.  He was crucified.

The second man is Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi.  His story was told in the movie ‘Gandhi’ from 1982.  He was shot and killed in 1947.

The third man is Dr. Martin Luther King jr. The documentary that best describes his achievements is called ‘King: A Filmed Record . . . Montgomery to Memphis’.  This incredible work from 1970 includes his entire “I Have a Dream” speech from the Washington March. It was shown for the first time in television recently on the movie channel, TCM. He was shot and killed in 1968.

These three men showed what could be done by non-violence. Each case effected significant, if not world-shaking, change. So, why have we forgotten these profound messages?