Find the Good and Praise It

I don’t often laud heroes. It’s not that I don’t admire heroism and find inspiration among heroic people. It’s just that for every sung hero there is a village of unsung heroes whose stories are often ignored - military spouses holding a household together while the soldier is deployed; parents driving their children to practices and games, rehearsals and performances, long before they become a star; or the third-grade teacher whose patient insistence enabled that light to come on for a future Nobel recipient. Back in time, many Presbyterian churches would store a “pall,” that would drape over every casket during funerals, to prevent very wealthy people from having copious flowers, compared to whatever sparse arrangements a poor family could afford. It was a way of recognizing our fundamental equality before God and universal dependence on grace. 

However, there is a time to “find the good and praise it.” And I feel like the recent death of Representative John Lewis offers just such an occasion. And while having three past presidents and other dignitaries speak may be the most noteworthy part of John Lewis’ memorial service, we know that in John Lewis’ life there were countless mentors and protectors, those who knew when to give him a scowl and when to give him a smile as he was growing up and discovering the boundaries of who he was. They are the unsung heroes. The three past presidents – representing both major political parties in the US – spoke well about John Lewis’ life, capturing the spirit and meaning of his public life. President Bush pointed to Rep. Lewis’ faith, calling him “a believer willing to give up everything, even life itself, to bear witness to the truth that drove him all his life.” President Clinton reminded us that Rep. Lewis “thought the open hand was better than the clenched fist. He lived by the faith and promise of St. Paul: Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not lose heart.” 

It was President Obama who really brought it home. Repeatedly emphasizing how kind and gentle Rep. Lewis was, President Obama showed how that kindness and gentleness coincided with Rep. Lewis’ commitment to “good trouble” saying, “He knew that nonviolent protest is patriotic, a way to raise public awareness and put a spotlight on injustice and make the powers that be uncomfortable.” That, of course, is coming from someone who once sat in the office of “the powers that be.” Each of those past presidents found themselves on the receiving end of that “good trouble” along the way. And yet, they could not deny that Rep. Lewis’ motivation was justice, earning him the nickname as “the conscience of the congress.” 

The most fitting words for remembering Rep. Lewis, however, were his own words, penned before his death and published just after. With great respect for a life well-lived, I give the last words to Rep. Lewis: 

When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.

Mark of St. Mark