I'm still marveling this morning at the power of yesterday's funeral service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta for U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia). Magnificent tributes from four U.S. presidents --- Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton in person and Jimmy Carter, now 95, by letter from Plains; an eloquent invocation from the Rev. Bernice King of the King Center; and much more.
But the tribute I've listened to twice now, and probably will listen to again, came from the Rev. James Lawson, a towering figure himself in the U.S. civil rights movement, colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King and, at 91, a mentor to John Lewis, who was a mere 80 when he died July 17.
A retired United Methodist minister and educator, the Rev. Mr. Lawson worked closely with Dr. King to bring the Gandhian concept of "Satyagraha" --- a form of non-violent (but not passive) resistance sometimes expressed as "truth-force" or "soul-force" --- to the developing civil rights movement.
For those who care to watch and listen, here is his history lesson/tribute:
No comments:
Post a Comment