This week marks the fifth anniversary of the death of John Lewis. He was one of the most courageous people in the modern Civil Rights Movement and continued his work for justice as a Congressman from Georgia for decades. In his honor and memory, there were nationwide protests on Thursday called Good Trouble Lives On. Through his words and witness, he encouraged us to “get into good trouble, necessary trouble” in the ongoing struggle for justice. The first two videos posted below feature a young John Lewis during nonviolent protests for racial justice – the first from the lunch counter sit ins of 1960 and the second from the Selma campaign of 1965. In both situations, he suffered from violence inflicted by those supporting the status quo of Jim Crow racial segregation. By remaining nonviolent, he along with thousands of others touched the conscious of the nation and helped to dismantle the system of legal racial segregation that had been in place for nearly a century. For John Lewis, his Christian faith was the foundation of his commitment to nonviolence.
We live in a time when getting into “good trouble” is as important as ever. Brutal ICE raids, detentions, and deportations are an example of the contemporary version of state sanctioned racial oppression. Rolling back voting rights, rights for women, and rights for the LGBTQ community are additional examples of modern day injustices that call for nonviolent resistance. For those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus, it is essential to teach and witness to justice as a foundational aspect of discipleship. The third video posted below features an older John Lewis presenting an award to Bishop William Barber for his work in promoting justice based on the Christian faith. Please take the time to listen to Bishop Barber’s words that continue to challenge us to get into the “good trouble” of faith based nonviolent action for justice.