"A Beacon for All to See" Honoring the Legacy of 'Good Trouble" In Memoriam Rep. John Lewis

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"If not us , then who?  If not now, then when?

~Rep. John Lewis

We are running out of heroes.  Rep. John Lewis stood, and will always stand, as a singular beacon of determination to speak out, and to work to bring freedom and justice for all. His history alone shows us it is never easy, often painfully ugly, but forever necessary to as he said"...be bold, brave, and courageous and find a way...to get in the way."

He lived his life with a dedicated purpose that few can parallel.  He believed to his core that this country not only could do and be better but that it had a moral obligation to do so. He never wavered in his determination to see that happen-peacefully, purposefully and permanently, and through his remarkable life and work he inspired us all to follow his lead.
 

He was handcuffed, jailed, beaten to near death but the bloodshed and unimaginable pain and loss he endured did not stop his faith in what he knew to be true that we all have "...a moral obligation, a mission and a mandate, to speak up, speak out and get in good trouble," and that "You can do it. You must do it. Not just for yourselves but for generations yet unborn. " 

He never stopped believing in the promise of this country. He never showed bitterness, resentment, anger.  It is almost impossible to understand given all he saw, all he stood witness to, all he experienced and survived that he never lost is hope, his fight, his true belief that this country could fulfill its potential to see that the promise of the rights of all to “…Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” would be realized. He only ever kept fighting for justice and asked us all to do the same.

Standing this Spring in that infamous spot on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma for the last time Rep. Lewis shared only a message of hope and determination. A plea to each of us to go  forward in his path, to carry his light of hope and to make a promise to  “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.”  

Thank you good sir. May we all follow the beacon that your life created and work to realize all you fought for.

"You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone-any person or any force-dampen, dim or diminish your light. Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates...Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don't be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a beloved community that is finally at peace with itself."

~ John Lewis, Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America

 

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"He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that he might live up to its promise. And through the decades, he not only gave all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice, but inspired generations that followed to try to live up to his example...Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did. And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders - to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise."
~President Barack Obama  July 18, 2020

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