Across That Bridge

I just read and am still processing Across That Bridge by the late Rep. John Lewis. My first two thoughts were: 1. This is the best non-fiction book I have ever read. 2. Everyone needs to read this book. Everyone. Once again, I was going down my ebook lists and I saw Across That Bridge. I wanted to learn more about Rep. Lewis, a man I admired greatly but didn’t know much about other than he was involved in civil rights and that he was a hero. I often wondered how he could still seem to be so loving in spirit in light of the violence and hatred he’d experienced in his lifetime. He mentioned that several times in the book: he was beaten, spit upon, called the N word and jailed. He still had scars from the beatings. How could he not be angry or bitter? He wrote that during the civil rights movement, Rev. Martin Luther King and other leaders followed the advice of Mohandas Ghandi. Ghandi’s protests were always non-violent on his part. No matter what, the civil rights activists met violence with pacifism. They did not lower themselves by responding with violence, and that is what helped to bring about change. Lewis learned how to use the doctrine of non-violent protest. It makes sense to me now. When two forces come against each other and one side commits violence, the other side has two choices: peaceful response or retaliation. When there is retaliation, then everyone is on the same violent level. There can be no resolution when both sides are angry and seeking redress through violence. Neither views the other as worthy. I think that’s what’s happening with the bitter divisiveness of people who lean red (Republican) or blue (Democrat). The Republicans are proud of the fact that their mission in life is to thwart every single piece of legislation proposed by the Democrats, particularly if the POTUS is Democrat (Obama especially and now Biden). In terms of getting rid of the filibuster so that legislation can move forward, I believe the Democrats are reluctant to go there because they want to have that weapon to retaliate should power change hands. It’s such a waste of time and energy. As I absorbed Rep. Lewis’s words, I could feel another transformation within. It’s similar to how I felt when I read To Kill A Mockingbird as a teenager. What Rep. Lewis wrote made perfect sense. I used to say, “We all bleed red” when I expressed how I felt about equality. But I like what Lewis said much better. All of us in the world are living in the same house, different rooms. What we need to do is respect each other and work out differences peaceably so there is harmony in the house, not discord. After all the achievements of the civil rights movement, I was feeling disheartened when I began reading the book. It seems that there’s a movement now to undo all the gains made 60 years ago. Voting rights are at stake again and there are laws passed or being passed in red states to make it more difficult for citizens to vote. Not just citizens, citizens of color. White supremacists have a horror of facing the truth and therefore are passing laws to prevent children from learning about diversity or historical truths. I was feeling pretty low. “To reconcile ourselves with one another, we must release our judgments and make peace with the fact that we are one. This country was founded on the ideal that we are all created equal. If we truly believe in the equality of all humankind, how can we put down and belittle one another? How can we disrespect and prejudge one another? How can we come to the point where we malign and hate one another?” That’s what I wanted to know. This is what I’m taking from the book. The answer to bringing people together is letting go of the hatred and the bigotry and small-minded animosities. We need to listen to each other without getting angry and shouting or making threats. We need to face the truth about our history and move forward together and not keep truth hidden. How else can we heal unless we bring dark issues out into the open. Listening leads to respect leads ultimately to benevolent feelings toward each other. Love. An impossible dream? Maybe. But Rep. Lewis also spoke of the little light within all of us. The light grows when we have peace and love within us. Some people radiate like beacons. A little light can spark lights within others. That’s how we learn to see each other as equals and learn to get along. I believe in what Rep. Lewis says with all my heart. I want to do what I can to shine my light. I am inspired by what Rep. Lewis said concluding this awesome book: “You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone—any person or any force—dampen, dim, or diminish your light….Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won…And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a Beloved Community that is finally at peace with itself.” I can’t sing the praises enough. And everyone should read Across The Bridge. Maybe then we can start to “get along” as we should and stop trying to dismantle civil rights for people of color, of different abilities, different sexualties, different religions. I am hopeful now.