Reflections from the Journey

Part of my journey the last few months has been to read His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope, the biography of the late Rep. John Lewis. Jon Meacham writes in detail about the life of this great leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He chronicles the connections that Mr. Lewis had in his young adult life as he came out of the deep South to study for the ministry. Lewis developed his gentle yet strong voice for justice being influenced by Martin Luther King, Jr., James Lawson, Ella Baker, and others who were part of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Retaining historical details in my mind is not my strength, and much of this information was new to me, though it had happened in my lifetime. I was deeply impressed by the commitment that Lewis and the others around him had to the way of nonviolence as they sought justice for African Americans. Ponder these words that Meacham shares, quoting from James Lawson (pardon the exclusive male language):

“Through nonviolence, courage displaces fear; love transforms hate. Acceptance dissipates prejudice; hope ends despair. Peace dominates war; faith reconciles doubt. Mutual regard cancels enmity. Justice for all overthrows injustice. The redemptive community supersedes systems of gross social immorality.

Love is the central motif of nonviolence. Love is the force by which God binds man to Himself and man to man. Such love goes to the extreme; it remains loving and forgiving even in the midst of hostility. It matches the capacity of evil to inflict suffering with an even more enduring capacity to absorb evil, all the while persisting in love.”

(p. 62, His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope, Jon Meacham, Random House, 2020)

Throughout this biography, it’s clear that John Lewis is living out these words. When he is attacked and beaten, he does not strike back. When he is arrested for his courageous acts of peaceful action that confront evil, he forgives and loves the offenders. Through all of his life, through all the suffering, he had an incredible sense of hope that love and justice would overcome in the end. In the last few years I’ve been paying more attention to the politics of our country. I’m sorry to say that I had not been particularly aware of John Lewis until more recently - and now he is gone. But the witness of his life lives on. His hope for the Beloved Community to come to fruition lives on as all of us work and pray and act to end the injustices that seem to flourish in this world.

So how will you persist in love as you continue on your faith journey? What is yours to do in our world? Where can your congregation work to transform hate, end despair, and cancel enmity? And how shall the Illinois/Wisconsin District work toward building a more redemptive community?

Your companion on the journey,

Connie R. Burkholder
Interim District Executive

Information about the Interim District Executive Position

Connie lives in McPherson, Kansas, so her ministry will be done by email, phone, and Zoom. Since her ministry is to be ¼ time and she has responsibilities as part of a pastoral team in McPherson, she will generally not be available for Sunday morning commitments. Special circumstances would be negotiated. Her contact information is:

Email: crburkholder56@gmail.com

Cell phone: 620-245-4600