Congressman John Robert Lewis died last night. He was eighty. That’s two Civil Rights icons in one day, and three since March 27, inclusive of Dr. C. T. Vivian and Dr. Joseph E. Lowery. Vivian was 95 and Lowery was 98. Their testimony, their theology, their style of advocacy are fast becoming distant memories and footnotes in history books, as a new generation of protesters and fighters for justice and freedom are evolving with a distinctly different style of advocacy (perhaps with only scant regard for the shoulders they are standing on).
May these extraordinary leaders be duly remembered for the sacrifices they made for the good of the nation, the world, and the Black community in particular. Before “Black Lives Matter” was a slogan and a mantra, it was an audacious mission and a prophetic mandate evident in the lives these men lived and the causes they represented.
Bishop Adam J. Richardson, Senior Bishop
They were committed to non-violent activism and “good trouble” as Congressman Lewis was fond of saying. We honor God for the leadership, advocacy, and the underlying motivation that kept them committed to the mission of “liberty and justice for all” for at least six decades.
We pray that their mantle will be picked up by consecrated hands, and may those who pick up the mantle will know the Spirit who inaugurated and inspires the Movement. We pray God’s comforting blessings upon their families.
Bishop Adam J. Richardson, Senior Bishop