For the majority of my adult life, my spirituality has had nonviolence at it’s core. Thomas Merton and Leo Tolstoy have influenced me especially… as well as the time I spent living at Jerusalem Farm. But it’s pretty wild that—while I’ve listened to several of his speeches—I’ve never actually read any essays by Martin Luther King, Jr. except for Letter From Birmingham Jail.

But because of my existing background in the philosophy and theology of nonviolence, opening this book felt comfortable and familiar; like sinking into an old arm chair. I found in King one of the things I love most about Merton. His adherence to nonviolence is not constrained by one context or topic; the strong, gentle guidance of nonviolence permeates all his arguments, his assumptions, and every corner of his explanations. It’s imbued in the very language he uses, which makes the book easy to read.

King is also just writes awesome arguments. I always think of him as a civil rights leader and social activist… I spend less time thinking of him as a professor and a pastor. But the latter two vocations are what shine through in Strength To Love- these collected sermons made an awesome companion to my prayer times, and are intellectually rigorous enough to not make me feel like I’m being pandered, patronized, or parroted to.

Reading his sermons gave me a newfound love for Martin Luther King, who until now was a man I respected but never felt like I knew very well. I do feel like I know King better after reading this book… maybe that’s another hallmark of good writing. Anyway; I’m excited to read more.