Day 167 "Be Constructive, Not Destructive"

Longtime US congressman, John Lewis, died today. He served the 5th Congressional district, which included the city of Atlanta, for more than three decades. Born the son of sharecroppers, Lewis rose through the polital ranks motivated by equality and justice for all people. At 23, he was one of the keynote speakers at the March on Washington in 1963 along side of the Rev. Martin Luther King. At 25, Lewis experienced first hand the brutal beating by police during the protest march in Selma, Alabama with a fractured skull. Over his lifetime, he had been arrested and put into jail 40 times, once for drinking from a drinking fountain that was for "whites only." Over his illustrious career on Capital Hill, he was seen as a moral conscience of Congress because of his non-violent fight for civil rights.

At a time where our country sees to be more polarized than ever, peace fraying at the seams, we could all benefit, again from hearing those voices from the past who spoke of peace, equality, love, and brotherhood. Voices such as Gandhi, King, Jesus Christ, and you could add John Lewis.

Gandhi: "Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love. Permanent good can never be the outcome of untruth and violence. The future depends on what you do today. To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer."

"If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what others do."

"A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes."

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong."

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

"In a gentle way, you can shake the world."

King: "The time is always right to do what is right."

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot

drive out hate, only love can do that."

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice." 

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." 

Christ: "All the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single command: You must love your neighbor as yourself."

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

"Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to cast a stone."

"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the taxcollectors doing that?

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

Lewis: "We are one people with one family. We all live in the same house… and through books, through information, we must find a way to say to people that we must lay down the burden of hate. For hate is too heavy a burden to bear.”

“When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something."

"To those who have said, ‘Be patient and wait,’ we have long said that we cannot be patient. We do not want our freedom gradually, but we want to be free now! We are tired. We are tired of being beaten by policemen. We are tired of seeing our people locked up in jail over and over again. And then you holler, ‘Be patient.’ How long can we be patient? We want our freedom, and we want it now.”

“I was beaten, left bloody and unconscious. But I never became bitter or hostile, never gave up. I believe that somehow and some way, if it becomes necessary to use our bodies to help redeem the soul of a nation, then we must do it. Create a society at peace with itself, and lay down the burden of hate and division.”

There are people who have gone before us, laying down their lives to pay the ultimate sacrifice to achieve and maintain a sense of equality, peace, justice, and freedom for us all. To all of these folks, we owe a deep indebtedness of gratitude. To those who will come after us, what will they say of us who live today? Will they say that we were moved and motivated for the common good of our fellowman or shall they say of us that they squandered their lives upon themselves, seeking only to promote their own good and protect it from loss?

Love has no boundaries. It seeks to fulfill no selfish ambition. It believes and trusts. It seeks the best and diminishes the worst. It brings together, not tears apart. It is uplifting and encouraging, not deflating and suppressive. It inspires rather than demands. Where there is love, hatred and fear abates. Love never fails. Thus, the greatest thing we can do for the benefit of those who will follow in our footsteps is to choose love in each and every moment that comes our way.

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"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." Matthew 7:3-5

John Lewis, age 23, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial:

During these turbulent times, should you should find yourself in the midst of uncertainty, not knowing which direction to go or which action to undertake, then, as always, choose the pathway illuminated by love.

In his love, see you tomorrow.

"Carpe momentum in love." (Seize the moment in love)