Estimated reading time: 10 minute(s)
by Willie Muhammad
Part 7 of 9
Being that the previous blog was about the sublime character of the Hon. Louis Farrakhan, I think it is fitting that the subject of this one be about his courage. We will attempt to do this by looking at the Biblical figure Peter.Â
Peter was the man whose faith and person, Jesus would use to build a community of believers that would be called from out of the world to build the Kingdom of God. Many of Peter’s detractors like to focus solely on his temporary lapse in faith, and ignore that God and His Christ still used him. They also fail to see that Peter’s fall was part of his preparation for his future work (Luke 22:32). Peter is a man of courage, he was the only disciple, who had the courage to get out of the boat and step onto the water to meet Jesus. He was also the first disciple of Jesus to boldly declare to the world that his Teacher, was not dead but in fact ALIVE. These are just a few of his “get out of the boat and walk on the water†moments that highlight the courage of Peter.
Like Peter, the Hon. Louis Farrakhan during his journey of discipleship as a student of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad, has also had numerous “get out of the boat and walk on the water” moments. I would like to mention some of them as I attempt to show that the Minister possesses the leadership quality of courage. Courage implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty. It is defined in one dictionary as the ability to do something that you know is right or good, even though it is dangerous, frightening, or very difficult.Â
The Hon. Louis Farrakhan’s decision to rebuild the work of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad was done during a very dangerous and difficult atmosphere, as foretold in the Book of Acts. Dangerous, because such a decision placed the lives of the Minister, his family and those with him in danger. Difficult, because the man whose work he was putting his life on the line to rebuild had been portrayed as an immoral man and a religious fraud who filled the minds of his followers with fairytales said to be revelation. Some threatened and even tried to bribe the Hon. Min. Louis Farrakhan not to mention the name of his Father, as it is written in Acts 4:17-18. Despite the opposition, just as it is written, the Hon. Louis Farrakhan under the type of Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit focused on rebuilding the work of his father. Since doing so he has not stopped speaking and living the Word of God in a COURAGEOUS manner.
One of his most courageous moments took place during the first NOI Saviours’ Day post 1975 (Acts 2:22-24). Min. Farrakhan stood before the world and boldly declared that his teacher, the Most Hon. Elijah Muhammad was not dead, but indeed ALIVE. His declaration was met with scorn, ridicule and doubt. Min. Farrakhan did not back down, he instead challenged all who doubted with a call for a postmortem examination, “…We stand ready, at any time, to pay for the exhuming of that “body†of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and we stand ready to pay for the two dentists who worked on His teeth to compare their dental records with dental records obtained from the examination of the “body.†We also will pay for two other dentists to make an examination and give their findings. I am willing to go before the world to be seen as one whose belief that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is physically alive is false, or be manifested as the true representative of the Mahdi, the Messiah, the Christ that the world is now looking for and whose return is imminent.†Since 1984, no one has stepped forward to accept this challenge (Jude 1:9).
FARRAKHAN A MAN OF COURAGE!
(Willie Muhammad serves as the Student Minister at Muhammad Mosque No. 46 in New Orleans. Visit their website @Â www.noineworleans.org)
