Historians say when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Germany in 1517, he did far more than start a church revolution. His theme that God saves individuals on the basis our personal faith in His Son had implications in other areas of life. It inspired people to pursue business and science; it gave them the desire to choose our own government leaders. We have all benefitted from these individual initiatives. But if we are not careful we can be so hung up on individualism that we become self-centered and selfish with little or no concern for others. We can forget that we are also members of a community and have responsibilities for each other. God stressed that principle to Moses. We read this in Leviticus 19, “Do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God.” So in exercising our individual freedoms, we must remember our duty to help others not as well off as we are. We should show our concern not only by helping others one-on-one, but by combining our resources with those of others so our gift can do a lot more.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
