August Book of the Month: Strength to Love

There are some books that don’t just give you new information, they give you new eyes. Strength to Love is one of those books. This is Dr. King not as a civil rights icon, but as a pastor. These are sermons. Messages preached to his congregation in the middle of racial violence, threats, and injustice. Messages that are honest about evil but anchored in hope. Messages that call us beyond fear and apathy into courage, conviction, and love.

And not just any love. A costly, resilient, Christ-shaped love that refuses to give up even when the world feels like it’s burning down. Reading Strength to Love reminded me why Dr. King’s voice continues to echo through the decades because it’s soaked in Scripture, courage, and grace.

If the title sounds familiar, it’s because guest preacher, Pastor Adrienne Christian, referenced this book in her powerful sermon back in early June. When she quoted it, I immediately felt the nudge to revisit this work that I had first read over ten years ago. I’m so glad I did. Reading it again in this season hit differently… it stirred fresh conviction, deeper hope, and a renewed desire to live with the kind of courageous, Christ-like love Dr. King embodied.

Redeemer, this book will stretch you. It will challenge your comfort. But it will also fill you with hope. Dr. King knew what it was to live in the tension between injustice and the Kingdom of God—and his words can help us live there too, with faithfulness and courage.

Things I loved from the book:

Love as the Weapon of the Christian Life
Dr. King refuses to let us settle for weak or sentimental versions of love. For him, love is the most powerful force in the universe.  It is the very heartbeat of God’s Kingdom. Love is not passive; it’s active. It’s not soft; it’s strong. It’s what enables us to confront evil without becoming evil. Dr. King reminds us that the Christian call is not just to oppose injustice, but to do so in a way that refuses to dehumanize the oppressor. Hard to do? Absolutely. But it’s also how the world gets changed.

Courage to Face Fear
One of my favorite chapters is simply titled “Antidotes for Fear.” Dr. King speaks directly to the anxiety and insecurity we all carry, especially when confronting difficult truths. He names how fear shrinks our world, poisons our relationships, and keeps us from living fully alive. And then he points us back to the One who says, “Do not be afraid.” This book will push you toward courage, not because the world is safe, but because Christ is Lord.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ at the Center
This isn’t a political manifesto—it’s a call to follow Jesus. Every chapter, every sermon, keeps pulling us back to the cross and resurrection. Dr. King believed deeply in the transforming power of the gospel and not just for personal salvation, but for the renewal of society. He shows us how Christian faith isn’t meant to hide in the private corners of life, but to shape our actions in public and personal life alike.