Few people discover their purpose, embrace, and then fulfill it. But civil rights activist, minister, Congressman John Lewis did. And he did it without great compromise.
Rep. John Lewis was a man of ‘good report’ who extolled Christian values, not political advantage or chaos. He was moved by God and humanity to take upon a leadership role to help bring about equity in the government for Blacks. He bore the marks of Jim Crow’s racism and was a great messenger of civil rights.
According to the Bible, a man of ‘good report’ is esteemed by neighbors, friends, family, and even a few enemies.
Some of Lewis’ peers called him the conscience of Congress and others the conscience of the country.
United States Representative John Lewis was born for such a time to help thread the needle of equality. Providence placed him, along with 600 plus non-violent protestors, on Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965.
Lewis didn’t know for whom the bell would toll as they defied the Alabama State troopers’ two-minute disperse warning. The beatings by state troopers were fierce. The blood of many peaceful protestors gushed like liquid from crushed melons. The rise and fall of nightsticks against Lewis’ head fractured his skull but not his spirit.
It was no surprise that evil reared its’ ugly head that Sunday. Evil has no off day, not even the Sabbath. John Lewis’ and the marchers’ blood splattered the asphalt as a testament against past injustices, harrowing racism that day, and ever since. It was Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965, in the year of our Lord. The blood of many was spilled in a courageous effort to secure blacks’ voting rights.
Lewis wasn’t a novice to shedding light on the wrongs against African Americans. He helped organize the 1963 March on Washington. He also worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and other civil rights activists to prevent the disenfranchisement of blacks.
We can color Representative John Lewis, an American hero.
He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, which was presented by President Barack Obama.
Rep. Lewis freely acknowledged and applied the truth. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
As a member of the U.S. House of Representative, he served the people in lockstep with his beliefs, calling for equal opportunities for Blacks.
In his teachings, Jesus spoke much about the message and less about the messenger.
John Lewis’ message of humility and being a servant to humanity lives on. His message about love springs up anew. His message about the weight of discrimination and injustice in this country will not be silenced.
I’ve never met John Lewis, but I imagined him to be a cedar that withstood the winds of opposition in the halls of Congress.
Rest in peace U.S. House Representative John Lewis. Thank you for your last measure of devotion to freedom and justice for all. We will never forget your bravery and service to America.
People forget what people said but remember what they did. We remember what Rep. John Lewis said and did because he practiced what he preached. The following is a quote from Lewis.
“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
On what bridge will you and I stand to make good, necessary trouble in the name of God and humanity?