I remember some years ago hearing an interview John Lewis gave to Krista Tippett that permanently changed my world. He spoke directly to my soul, expanding my sense of engaging other beings with dignity—especially those who disagreed with you— and by doing so, the beloved community grows.
John Lewis internalized a loving heart during the civil rights movement, even as he was mocked, tear-gassed, trampled by horses, beaten to an inch of his life and jailed. During a time when it was only natural to close down for self preservation, he did the opposite, he opened. He claims that he felt no bitterness, no animosity toward his persecutors. His life in every way shows dedication to peace and love as ultimate North Stars.
He has said, “Non-violence is not the absence of violence but the presence of justice, presence of bringing the dirt and the filth out into the light so we can deal with it.” During the non-violent campaign, participants were trained to look into the eyes of the ones who disagreed with you, address them as holy and sacred. He stressed that we must be taught to love and to see the spark of divinity in every fellow human being, and that we don’t have the right to extinguish the sacred spark. We are often taught to hate, to abuse and so we must appeal to the goodness in every human being and never give up, never give up on anyone. This way of engaging is conflict resolution for holy beings, those who have their sights and their feet in the Eternal Dimension, in the land of freedom.
One of his most recent quotes of 2018 is a Tweeted-torch, a lamp for this time we find ourselves:
"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."He speaks of being pulled into The Spirit of History and that we have a moral obligation, a mandate to engage suffering, to recognize what is harmful and cast light on it. But, here’s the mandate: engage with love, peace and strong faith in the goodness of humanity. John Lewis taught that our civility demonstrates the absurdity of the other side.
"Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.”John Lewis, Rest In Peace, knowing you have made a mark on history that is incomprehensibly good. As your divine spark shines inside future generations, may we nourish its light and tend it like a beacon.