Three reasons to attend the MLK March with Redeemer

Last year I attended San Antonio’s Martin Luther King, Jr. March for the first time with a group from Redeemer. Before I attended, all I really knew was that San Antonio’s MLK March is the largest in the country. By the end, it was clear to me that just stating the size of the march can’t communicate the significance of this event in the life of our city. If you’ve never attended the march, or even if you have, I want to give you some reasons I think you should join Redeemer’s group at the march this year.

Come to see. One of the most compelling things about attending the MLK March is simply observing who is there. The answer is … everyone, really. There are schools and churches and non profit organizations and advocacy groups and neighborhood associations and ministries and people from all walks of life right next to each other on the shuttles and on the street for the march. In a divisive time in our culture, it is moving and encouraging to see such a large, diverse group of people come together and walk peacefully, side by side, to affirm that we are one community, and we need one another in the pursuit of greater justice and wholeness in the city we all love. Witnessing the march gave me a more complete answer to the question “Who is my neighbor?”

Come to learn. There is a lot to learn about the concerns of our neighbors by attending this event. What fears are people in our city carrying? What are their struggles and needs? What are they proud of? All of this is on display through the kinds of groups that attend, the signs people carry, the music that is played, the school uniforms and T-shirts people wear, and the friends and families that line the route to watch the march and celebrate the legacy of Dr. King every year. The march takes place on the historic East side of San Antonio and the route passes churches that have been anchors of the African-American community in San Antonio, many since the civil rights era and some since long before that. We can learn a great deal about faithful presence from those communities and their leaders.

Come to wait and to walk. The MLK March was both unique and a lot of like every event I have ever attended in San Antonio. Like everything we do, the start time is a little fluid, there will be some waiting around, and the march itself is more of a stroll than a sprint. You can’t speed walk with 300,000 people. You’ll need to make room for the person next to you and pay attention. This, I think, is a physical expression of a deeper reality — progress is slow, both in our city, in our hearts, and in God’s kingdom. If we want to be for our neighbors, we are going to need patience and a commitment to keep walking together. These are not just ideas for us to reflect on in our hearts — there are real things to be done, and physically walking with our neighbors is a way to recommit oureslves to them as our brothers and sisters and to the Kingdom work of seeking the good of the city.

If you want to come with us this year, RSVP and get information on shuttle servce HERE. We’ll gather at the MLK Academy — look for Redeemer’s banner.