It was April 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama—a city some considered to be the most segregated city in the United States, and known for brutal violence toward African-Americans. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and others worked for years with the local government to address issues of injustice to no avail. And so, after months of planning and strategizing, they began their nonviolent protests—much to the frustration of white pastors in the area who criticized Dr. King and accused him of acting in a way that was “unwise and untimely.”

Dr. King responded with his profound “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” He boldly challenged the passivity, indifference, and self-preservation of the church leaders. He wisely reminded them that no one lives in a bubble: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”King, Martin L. Letter from the Birmingham Jail. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1994.

The issues of passivity, indifference, and self preservation were the central topics the prophet Obadiah addressed in his message to the nation of Edom. Obadiah’s message is painful, but it has incredible application for us today.