If Dr. King Were Alive Today, What Would He Drive?

As we focus our attention on Dr. King this month, have you ever wondered what he would have driven if he were around today? According to Tom Houck, who was King's personal driver and assistant, he was responsible for his transportation needs.

We do know if Jesus, another great leader, were still alive today, he would probably be cruising around the world in a Dodge Caravan, with the new swivel seats and built-in picnic table. Knowing Jesus, he would have been ministering at every bus stop, holding Bible study in his Caravan, according to young Biblical scholars attending a local Sunday school class in Atlanta.

Like most southern Baptist ministers of King's day, who tooled around town in the seventies, eighties and nineties driving "preacher cars"- Cadillac's DeVille, Lincoln's Town Car and Chrysler's Fifth Avenue - he probably would have driven one of the domestic land yachts, too. Unlike most ministers, since King was so frugal, he probably would have owned a Ford Crown Victoria or Buick LeSabre, the "working man's car."

As we entered into the new millennium, King would have been forced to transition into a new ride, since many of the big domestic road runners of the past no longer are being built today. With the exception of Dr. Joesph Lowery, president emeritus of the SCLC, now in his eighties, who is still driving a stylish Cadillac sedan, most ministers have traded their domestic makes for Mercedes' S-Class, BMW's 7-Series and Land Rover's Range Rover. And a few of today's preachers are still loyal to driving the domestic-based vehicles like Lowery; however, they're driving glitzy SUVs - Cadillac's Escalade and Lincoln's Navigator.

Now if you happen to be in same league as prosperity minister Creflo Dollar, you can drive around in a $280,000 Rolls Royce. According to Dollar's recent interview on ABC's Nightline News, his congregation rewarded him with the Rolls, each of the 28,000 members donated $20. Dollar also said during the interview, he recently sold the pricey car, giving the proceeds to a children's ministry.

If King were alive today, would he have accepted a Rolls from his flock? I seriously doubt it! Knowing King, who was the same person that took his $56,000 in earnings from the Nobel Peace Prize, giving it away to the civil rights organizations, he would have never accepted such a gift. Although Dollar recently turned over the keys to the Rolls, he continues to hold on to the church-owned private jet, ministering to his transcontinental flock. ( Dollar told Nightline his decision to relinquish the Rolls was in place prior to the Senate's random investigation of several mega ministries.)

If King were alive today, it's hard to believe he would have been as flamboyant as many of today's spiritual leaders. If he were alive today, he would have been driving a hybrid or taking public transportation, showing us his concern for preserving the environment. Or King could possibly be driving a Mercedes-Benz on loan from the dealership former mayor Andrew Young has owner-equity in within the Atlanta area. (Young was apart of King's inner-circle.)

As we take time to remember Dr. King, continue to honor and celebrate his legacy. Just wondering: Have some of our spiritual leaders embraced King's philosophy of equality, inclusion and economic freedom or has it been misinterpreted like the Bible scriptures for their personal interests? Also I am surprised there aren't any dealers or automakers having a "King Holiday Sale?" I guess in this day of being politically-correct that wouldn't go over to well.

Share your thoughts. What do you think King would say about the transportation choices of today's spiritual leaders?