Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a day set aside in the United States to remember and celebrate the achievements of the famous activist and the civil rights movement he championed.

Most of us think of King as a cultural and political activist, but the vision he articulated wasn’t just a political one. It was deeply rooted in King’s understanding of the Bible. There’s a reason that so many of King’s most famous speeches have pack the spiritual punch of sermons: many of them were sermons, and all of them drew on King’s conviction that true love for God and His Word involved actively pursuing justice across racial and ethnic boundaries.

For a look at the biblical basis of King’s speeches and activism, see the links below, in which we take a close look at the Bible verses and themes that permeate his most famous public addresses:

• The Bible Passages Behind Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Message—a look at biblical imagery in some of King’s most famous sermons.
• Why Didn’t They Stop? Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Parable of the Good Samaritan—King’s take on one of Jesus’ most convicting parables.
• Bible References in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech—King’s best-known speech contains a number of specific Bible references. Can you catch them?

And if you want to delve deeper into the topics of race, ethnicity, and justice in the Bible, sign up for our new two-week devotional Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: A Devotion About Race and Ethnicity. It walks through key Bible passages that inform our understanding of race, racism, and God’s love for all of humanity. Click here to sign up.