MLK Jr. saw hope in hard times, pastor says

By Neil Schulman
Long Branch — In the 1960s, when he heard Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches, Reverend Anthony Moss of Covenant Church said he didn’t fully understand them. Now he says he sees that King called for hope and optimism even in difficult circumstances.

Moss said that at the time he thought King’s ideas were good but he was “going about it the wrong way.”
Since then, he’s found faith, and says he now understands King’s vision better.
Moss was the guest speaker at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony in Long Branch, held at MLK Memorial Park on Atlantic Avenue on Monday.
The event was the culmination of a week of celebrations commemorating the life and teachings of King, which included events at houses of worship, a symbolic march, and a soul food dinner.
His understanding of King’s vision came when he read chapter 5 of the book of Romans: “and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations.”
Before he had faith, Moss said the passage would have seemed silly to him.
“I would have said, ‘Take joy in our tribulations? Are you kidding me?’”
But King understood the importance of this passage, and the importance of tribulations to make the world a more joyful place.
“He not only did it in his words. He did it in his actions,” Moss said. No matter where King was, he expounded hope. “I find hope even in his Letter from Birmingham jail.”
Moss said that today, we live in a climate of “cynicism.”
“Today, do we have the same kind of hope, or has hope become a buzzword to us?” he asked.
We must have visions to pass on to our children, Moss said.
“It has to go beyond us.”
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Before Moss spoke, Mayor Adam Schneider said that in Long Branch, “the spirit of Dr. King lives.”
The community strives for diversity and equality.
Schneider noted that a few hours after the ceremony, Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony would take place.
“Four years ago, I stood here and said President Obama is from Long Branch,” Schneider said, noting that Obama came from parents of different races, and was raised with strong values — just like the city.