Hard Questions, Heart Answers

Bernice King, the youngest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, gave her first speech at seventeen, and everyone present immediately recognized that she had inherited her father's remarkable gift for oratory.  In the sixteen years since that first public appearance, Bernice King--an ordained minister as well as an attorney--has become one of the country's most admired speakers and has touched the hearts of thousands.  Now, in Hard Questions, Heart Answers, she has collected the best of her inspiring sermons and speeches; in words ringing with wisdom and compassion, she addresses the pressing problems facing America in the 1990s.

Like her father before her, Reverend King believes that a good sermon or speech can fundamentally alter the way listeners understand their world and their place in it.  With this goal in mind, the first part of Hard Questions, Heart Answers intends to "disturb the comfortable"--to stir people from their complacency and remind them that each human life is a precious gift.  Tackling such controversial subjects as our disaffected youth, gun control, and the death penalty, Reverend King argues forcefully that, however "comfortable" America may seem, it has yet to confront its spiritual decay, its deep-rooted racism, and its thirst for violence.

Reverend King believes that ignoring our country's problems not only makes them worse but also produces a troubled population in desperate need of solace and spiritual nourishment.  In the second part of the collection, "Comforting the Disturbed," she speaks eloquently to this hunger, calling on the church to
rediscover its helping and healing mission, and urges African American men to become positive role models for future generations.  Most especially, she
encourages each of us to put aside our differences and find constructive "heart" answers to the toughest of today's "hard" questions.

Using experiences and lessons from her own life, Reverend King vigorously challenges us to look beyond our own concerns and help others strive for a better life.  Evoking the dream of social justice and racial equality that her father envisioned so many years ago, Hard Questions, Heart Answers offers the insight, empowerment, and hope that can make that dream a reality.

The Reverend Bernice A. King received her law degree and masters in divinity from Emory University.  She is the assistant pastor at Greater Rising Star Baptist Church in Atlanta, where she oversees the church's youth and women's ministries.  Reverend King is a frequent speaker on the national lecture circuit.  She lives in Atlanta.