Community Chat

[dooBdoo]

A wonderful, moving ceremony fitting and appropriate for this man of faith, courage, integrity, ethics, kindness, and dedication to service.   Rest in peace, John Robert Lewis.

"When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.

When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,
see with
a hurtful clarity.
Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks
never taken.

Great souls die and
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance,
fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance
of dark, cold
caves.

And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.”
--Maya Angelou

[golding76]

Mersha,

Could it be to diminish the power of this person and his message/lessons for us?

As President Obama pointed out, we are continually striving to have America realize its democratic ideals.  We aren't there yet, as is very clear.

When someone comes along who peacefully guides us and inspires us to go in the right direction when it comes to equality for all mankind, we should pay attention and learn.  This was John Lewis's last day "in the sun," and if there was a time to try to elevate and popularize his message, it was today.  

[JaneMarple]

No words need to be said concerning John Lewis' legacy, he deserved every second of this beautiful service. What he did for DEMOCRACY in this country cannot be equaled. 

Rest in peace Mr. Lewis

[dooBdoo]

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@Marp wrote:

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@Greeneyedlady21 wrote:

The young boy who read Invictus, what a tearjerker. I wish I had written his name down so I could Google it. I just love that poem, and it's obvious why John Lewis did too.

I am enjoying President Bush's speech too.

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@Greeneyedlady21,

A 12-year-old boy John Lewis befriended two years ago read the late congressman's favorite poem at his service today.

"This is John Lewis' favorite poem," Tybre Faw said before reading "Invictus."

""John Lewis was my hero and my friend. Let's honor him by getting into good trouble," Faw said after he read the poem."

Faw and Lewis met in Selma, Alabama, in March of 2018. CNN was there covering the annual civil rights pilgrimage that Lewis led when reporters saw Tybre standing outside a church where Lewis was attending a service.

He held a sign that read, "Thank you Rep. John Lewis. You have shown me how to have courage."

(Read more about their friendship here:  cnn.com/2020/07/19/politics/john-lewis-tybre-faw/index.html

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Thank you, @Marp.❤️

[icezeus]

I hesitated to open this thread, because I just did not feel like reading a bunch of hateful negative posts. To my surprise the majority of these postings were positive and paid  tribute to a Man that lived a life filled with class and grace. 

[Greeneyedlady21]

"We live in a better and nobler country today because of John Lewis and his abiding faith in the power of God, in the power of democracy, and in the power of love to lift us all to a higher ground." -President George W. Bush

[Mersha]

President Bush did an outstanding job of speaking today.

[golding76]

Mersha,

I think "W" is adorable (as I wrote previously but my message was deleted).  He's always been a favorite of mine (in my own fashion, of course).

I loved his "chicken flock and John Lewis" story.

[SoX]

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@Mersha wrote:

President Bush did an outstanding job of speaking today.

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@Mersha 

Yes, he did and he felt right at home, too.   Laura looked wonderful ... 

[Coquille]

@Mersha  You are somewhat new here. That is not unusual. There always was and always will be contrary people. That doesn't mean that they are not entitled to their opinion but there is a time and a place for everything!

If I read something that I feel is not right, I either respond in a respectful manner or I just ignore it and move on.  Take your pick.😉