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Jim Wallis, Adam R. Taylor
John Lewis was a friend and mentor.
As I, Jim, said when he died last Friday, John Lewis showed us the way again and again; his truth will keep marching on. I was moved to share a tweet from my son Luke, which said, “I’m honored to have ever been in the room with this man. Let’s fill these empty statue pedestals with patriots like #repjohnlewis.” Under his tweet was a picture of John Lewis holding Luke as a baby — he’s the only politician I ever let hold my child.
John Lewis was a longtime supporter and friend of Sojourners, speaking at our conferences, joining gatherings of advocates on the Hill, and meeting us for conversations about faith and politics. His faith infused his whole life — as an activist in the streets and as a congressman for 17 terms. He always fought for justice because of his faith.
Perhaps the most impactful memory I have of John Lewis comes from being with him on the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., on the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” with other now-iconic civil rights activists like C.T. Vivian — who died on the same day as Lewis, his dear friend. On March 7, 1965, John Lewis was almost beaten to death on that bridge — but the blood shed on that day led to the historic march from Selma to Montgomery, and, ultimately, to the Voting Rights Act five months later. Bloody Sunday is one of our country’s most striking examples of how risk and self-sacrifice can lead to dramatic social change.
“On that day, 600 people marched into history … We were beaten, tear gassed, some of us [were] left bloody right here on this bridge,” Lewis said in 2015 as he opened the 50th anniversary event before introducing President Barack Obama. “… But we never became bitter or hostile. We kept believing that the truth we stood for would have the final say.”
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Pollster Robert P. Jones speaks with Rev. Jim Wallis about how white American Christianity and white supremacy collaborate throughout our nation's history.
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