James M. Lawson, Jr. - Sermon Untitled (February 21, 1971)

All humans are religious, even if they profess to be atheists. However, not all humans have authentic faith. There are three primary criteria for determining whether your faith is authentic: 1.) Is there taking form in you a sense that you belong to life and not death?; 2.) Is there taking form in you a sense that you should not quite be content where you currently are?; 3.) Do you find yourself, day after day, more deeply bound in solidarity with all of humankind? If yes, then you are involved with the living God, and the living God is involved with you. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)

Sermon start time: (Part 1) 21:48. Sermon end time: (Part 1) 58:21.

Key quotation: “If against your own wishes, contrary to your own best interests, you find that in spirit, in body, in attitude, in word, again and again you have to identify with the hurt, and the lonely, and the weak, and every human person around the world, faith in you is taking on form and might. You’re involved with the living God.”