Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King: “Jesus did not ask us to feel sympathy for our enemies, but to love them”

Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King stated that Jesus instructed followers to love their enemies rather than merely feeling sympathy for them. In an interview with Agenzia Fides during the G20 Interfaith Forum in Salt Lake City, the couple discussed the responsibility of religious leaders to address social divisions.

Martin Luther King III, son of the civil rights leader, said faith leaders hold a unique role because the public looks to them for integrity and unity. He noted that while the words of religious leaders can cause division, using this role to its fullest can help create a beloved community.

Arndrea Waters King serves as president of the Drum Major Institute. During the discussion, King spoke about the spiritual legacy of nonviolence, noting that he had to learn to choose love and forgiveness over hate following the deaths of his father and grandmother.