Martin Luther King and the Angels

Dr. Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister, and his beliefs about religion and philosophy were the backbone of his beliefs about humanity and how to heal the wounds of a troubled world. Dr. King’s beliefs as a Christian included biblical teachings that dealt with angels, and he found courage in believing that angels exist, and they help those who have committed their life to seeking justice. In his writings, King said that man was blessed by the "cosmic companionship" of angels when struggling for righteousness.

There are two specific instances where King and his wife were convinced that angels were guiding their purpose. The first incident happened one night when King has a life-changing experience as he was suffering deep despair in his kitchen. He was struggling in despair over the toll his activities might take on his family, including his wife Coretta and their little girl Yolanda. It was not easy for him to continue his fight for civil rights, but he felt a deep calling to do so and the threats against his family were also threatening to interfere with his continued pursuits. All of his emotions came to a head that night, in what Kind later referred to as his own personal "Gethesemane experience."

That night, he had just gone to bed after having a long and tiring day. Coretta was asleep, and just as King was settling in, the telephone rang. Upon answering, King heard an angry, bitter voice saying, "Listen, nigger, we've taken all we want from you - before next week you'll be sorry you ever came to Montgomery."

King hung up and tried to go to sleep, but his fear and dread began to take hold and would not let go. Pacing and trying to collect his thoughts, he decided to go to the kitchen and heat up a pot of coffee. Exhausted and confused, he felt like he was ready to give up his struggles but he didn’t want to be a coward and he didn’t want his work to have been done in vain. He sat at his table staring at his coffee cup, trying to figure out what to do. He bowed his head and began to pray.

King told God that he had been taking a stand for what he believed to be right for people, but he was now afraid. He said that if people were looking to him for leadership and he faltered in his resolve, courage dwindling, how would that affect the people who believed in his work so strongly? King prayed that he felt like he was at the end of his strength and he had nothing left, and he told God that he couldn’t face the future alone.

According to King’s memoirs, at that moment he experienced a Divine presence unlike he had ever experienced before. Although we can never know for sure what King meant when he said he had encountered "the presence of the Divine," it seems likely that his experience was similar to that of Jesus just before his crucifixion, when "an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him" (Luke 22:43). Although we can’t ask Dr. King whether the Divine presence he experienced was an angel, we do know that it was God at work. In the Scriptures, right after the angel appeared to Jesus to give him strength, he went out with courage to face the agony that was waiting for him. That same enablement was given to Dr. King that night.

Shortly after the incident in the kitchen, Coretta was at home visiting with a family friend while Yolanda was sleeping in the bedroom. Suddenly the women were startled by the back doorbell ringing insistently. The two women went to answer the door, but when Coretta opened the door there was nobody there. As they turned to go back into the house, there was a loud thump and commotion out on the front porch, followed by a loud explosion. The bomb caused extensive damage to the front of the house. If Coretta and her friend had not been called away to the back door, she and her friend would certainly have been killed.

After the bombing Coretta was interviewed, and she said that until that time she hadn’t really internalized that the threats on her husband’s life were threats on her life as well. People had been calling saying that they were going to bomb the house and kill his family if he didn’t get out of town within three days, but he didn’t leave, so they did bomb the house. Coretta realized that if she continued with her husband in the struggle, she could be killed. So she began to pray earnestly to ask God for strength to stand by her husband and continue the fight, which was difficult. But she knew they were doing the right thing, and she believed that what was taking place in Montgomery was God’s will and part of a larger purpose. She felt a real sense of fulfillment that she hadn’t felt before, that her actions in supporting her husband were what she was supposed to be doing.

According to her friends, Coretta spoke often about her certainty that God had sent an angel to draw her to the back of the house where she would be safe from the bomb that was going to hit the house just moments later.

Because of these two specific incidents, as well as other less well-defined moments in the lives of Dr. King and his family, it is clear that both Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King believed that God had confirmed their working toward seeking justice in a non-violent way. Although they both knew the price they might have to pay, they were certain that with God’s help, and assistance from his angels, they would have the strength and courage they would need to see their mission to completion. Time and time again throughout history, it has been shown that angels don’t appear only to make it easier for people to avoid making tough decisions. They are also here to give people the strength they will need to go out and face certain hardship that cannot be avoided.