01/19/2026
Beloved friends,
Christ is in our midst!
We join together as a Nation to remember the life and ministry of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—a prophetic preacher, a public theologian, and a martyr who believed that the Gospel of Jesus Christ still had something to say to the soul of this nation.
Dr. King did not speak from the comfort of power. He spoke from jail cells, from death threats, from the shadow of the Cross. He understood something the Church must never forget: Christianity is not measuried by how loudly it is proclaimed, but by whom it protects, whom it serves, and whom it refuses to abandon.
We are living through a dangerous and clarifying moment. We are being asked—sometimes subtly, sometimes forcefully, sometimes lethally—to trade truth for loyalty, conscience for comfort, and the dignity of the human person for the illusion of security.
We hear the name of Christ invoked more loudly than ever, while His teachings are ignored more brazenly than ever.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor.”
They say, “Despise them.”
Jesus said, “Love your enemies.”
They say, “Destroy them.”
Jesus said, “What you do to the least of these, you do to Me.”
They say, “They deserve it.”
Jesus refused the kingdoms of the world when they were offered to Him. And yet we see Christian leaders bowing eagerly before earthly power, trading the Gospel for proximity to the throne.
Dr. King warned us about a Church more devoted to being respectable than being faithful. He reminded us that the greatest danger is not the extremist, but the baptized accomplice. Not everything that calls itself Christian belongs to Christ.
The Cross exposes false religion.
The Resurrection unmasks false power.
And the Gospel will always place us at odds with systems built on fear, domination, and exclusion.
Orthodox Christians know this truth. Our saints were formed under empires; our martyrs were executed by rulers who claimed divine sanction. We have learned that the Church is most faithful when she refuses to confuse the Kingdom of God with the kingdoms of this world.
Dr. King understood this as well. His dream was not naive optimism—it was crucified hope. A hope that tells the truth, refuses hatred, and believes that love is stronger than violence and justice stronger than tyranny.
His life asks us a question we cannot avoid:
What will we do with the faith we claim to hold?
Will we use the name of Jesus to dominate and exclude?
Or will we allow the Gospel to convert us and send us into the world as peacemakers and truth-tellers?
So today, may we honor Dr. King not only with our words, but with our courage.
May we refuse the comfort of silence.
May we reject a Christianity without a Cross.
And may the Holy Spirit give us the strength to remain faithful, even when faithfulness is costly.
Christ’s unworthy servant,
Fr. Matthew
