Across That Bridge by John Lewis

In this powerful episode of Mind Set in Stone, Larrell and Poppy explore Across That Bridge by civil rights icon John Lewis. 

This inspiring book offers timeless wisdom on justice, faith, and perseverance, drawn from Lewis’s firsthand experiences in the fight for equality.

Join Larrell and Poppy as they break down Lewis’s reflections on courage, hope, and the power of nonviolent resistance. 

They discuss how his principles can be applied to modern challenges, offering practical insights on leadership, activism, and personal growth.

Get ready for an eye-opening discussion on how faith, patience, and unwavering belief in change can transform the world—and your life. 

Tune in now for a deep dive into the legacy of John Lewis and the lessons we can all carry forward.

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Mind Set in Stone Podcasts. If you enjoyed our deep dive, be sure to subscribe and leave us a review! Share your thoughts with us on social media, and let us know which book you’d like us to explore next. Until next time, keep your mind set in stone and your curiosity open.

This has been a Big L Riz Media Podcast—where big ideas meet lasting impressions.

Transcript

Welcome to the Mind Set in Stone Podcast, your gateway to exploring the most transformative books of our time. Join hosts Larrell and Poppy as they unravel powerful themes, uncover life-changing ideas, and share the stories that shape how we see the world. Get ready to explore the big ideas that leave a lasting impact.

Let's get started.

All right, so welcome to the deep dive. Today, we're going to be taking a look at something really, really cool and powerful. Excerpts that you, our listeners, shared with us from Congressman John Lewis' book, Across That Bridge.

And we're not just going to be kind of like recounting history or anything like that. We're really going to be trying to extract the wisdom from a life that was dedicated to fighting for justice.

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we're really treating these excerpts like a treasure trove of insights and we're looking for those key principles and understandings that we can still apply today. And as you mentioned, you know, Congressman Lewis, he was there for some of the biggest moments in American history, and he really helped shape those moments.

Yeah. So, in this deep dive, you know, what we're going to be exploring are Congressman Lewis' experiences and, you know, how he thought about social change, the incredible power of nonviolence and just this ongoing pursuit of, you know, equality in America. And what's so amazing is that you've given us this glimpse into, you know, this life of unwavering commitment.

And what's so fascinating is that it's not just a story of the past, right? It's like this incredible set of lessons for like how we navigate challenges and create change principles that are just because resonate, you know, even today.

Absolutely. And, you know, his story starts in the south in rural Alabama, and this was, you know, the south of segregation, a very different time. And he was born into a family of sharecroppers.

So, his early life was hard work out in the fields. And even beyond the obvious signs of segregation, like the separate water fountains and schools, you know, he experienced that sting of discrimination first-hand.

Yeah, he talks about this really simple but powerful experience, right? Being denied a library card just because he was black and, you know, he couldn't borrow books from that library. You know, it's like this early injustice really sparked something in it, you know, like this realization that freedom, it was going to require this incredible courage and sacrifice and understanding.

It's what led him to embrace non-violence, which he describes as, you know, his most impenetrable shield. And it's what shaped him into this, you know, what he calls a warrior of love, which is a striking way to think about it.

Yeah, it really is. And that commitment to non-violence, it only deepened, you know, after he had this incredibly pivotal meeting with Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and he was just 18 at the time. And, you know, the just the blatant unfairness and the hypocrisy of the Jim Crow system, it just became, you know, in his own words, too much to bear.

And, you know, that encounter, it set him on a path right into the very heart of the civil rights movement.

And he became, like, a really key figure in those lunch counter sit-ins. And he showed, you know, incredible resilience in the face of just constant racism and just awful treatment at any time. It's about one example that's just, you know, it's just so vivid.

It's the day after John Kennedy's election. He's sitting at this Crystal Diner in Nashville. And what happened there, it just shows you the just the brutal reality of what they were up against.

Yeah. And what's so revealing about that incident is how they just kept escalating the abuse. You know, it wasn't just being refused service.

They actually, you know, they pretended like they were going to serve him. And then the waitress poured disinfectant down his back, and then it water all over his food. And the manager used a fumigation sprayer on him.

You know, this wasn't just about, you know, upholding segregation. This was about dehumanizing him and just, you know, really gives you a sense of the malice.

Absolutely. And, you know, what's so powerful is that he didn't waver, you know, in the face of all that humiliation. His resolve to see the promise of Brown V.]

Board of Education to dismantle, you know, that entire system of Jim Crow in the South. It didn't break, it didn't falter. And it really just shows you the depth of his condition that, you know, leads us right into this other crucial chapter in his life.

Right after those sit-ins, he was one of the original freedom writers, and this was in May 1961. And these rides were a direct challenge to segregation, you know, on interstate buses. And they intentionally went through the deep south where they knew they were going to be met with fierce opposition.

And they were met with unbelievable violence. So, I mean, from South Carolina and Alabama, they were attacked, they were beaten, kicked, punched. It's hard to even imagine that level of violence, you know, just for trying to exercise their rights on a bus or in a terminal.

And the key thing to understand here is their commitment to non-retaliation. You know, even when they were being physically assaulted, they refused to strike back. And Congressman Lewis really emphasizes how this, you know, not responding, how it became this powerful symbol of the very symbol of the power of faith that transformed the destiny of a nation.

You know, their willingness to just absorb that violence without returning it. It gave them this moral authority and it really started to shift public perception of the struggle.

Yeah. And so, moving on to 1963, Congressman Lewis plays this huge role in the march on Washington. And he was invited to speak at that, you know, pivotal event and really advocate for, you know, the civil rights legislation that would become, you know, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

And his speech at the march, it wasn't just a moment of celebration. It wasn't, you know, a simple call for change. He actually used that platform to critique the proposed legislation, especially the parts about voting rights.

You know, he argued that in its current form, it wouldn't truly address, you know, how black people were being systematically denied the right to vote in places like Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. They still had things like the sixth-grade education requirement. And the takeaway here is that he was willing to challenge those in power, even the ones who were sympathetic to their cause to make sure that true justice was achieved.

And his words, you know, they really resonate deeply when he said, no, one vote is the African crowd, is ours too, it must be ours. And he was speaking for so many people who were facing, you know, these incredible barriers to voting.

And you know, that connects to the broader work of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the SNCC, which Congressman Lewis helped found. And their mission was full racial equality. And they faced just cleast in violence in their efforts to get black Americans the right to vote.

Yeah, he talks about how SNCC members were beaten bloody, you know, just for trying to register people to vote. They were constantly intimidated and attacked by white mobs. And he and his fellow activists, you know, they held fast to their principles and their faith.

And they refused to be deterred by these attacks. And he points out that, you know, years later, the scars that they carried, they served as these powerful reminders of the sacrifices that they made.

And, you know, thinking about all of this, it's natural to ask, you know, what can we learn from this about engaging with injustice today?

Right. And that brings us to Congressman Lewis' thoughts about, you know, the state of politics today. And he saw this real decline, you know, the way people talked about politics.

And he was really concerned about how political parties were using what he called search and destroy tactics. And he saw this shift, you know, where people started treating their political opponents like enemies in a war, instead of, you know, colleagues who just had different ideas about how to govern. And it really, you know, you can sense his sadness about, you know, the loss of this common purpose in politics.

Yeah. And he describes modern campaigns as this free-for-all of dirty tricks, scandal-mongering and distracting negativity and, you know, all that just gets in the way of voters actually being able to look at a candidate's record and their positions on the issues that matter. And he even asked this really poignant question, you know, why do we have to be so mean?

And it highlights how worried he was about the effect of all that negativity on, you know, having real debates about the issues.

From Mind Set in Stone Podcast: Across That Bridge by John Lewis, 7 Apr 2025

Yeah. And to really show, you know, how bad things have gotten, he brings up some specific examples, like when a president was actually called a liar during a State of the Union address, and then this really disturbing incident where a campaign volunteer stomped on a woman's head at a senatorial debate in 2010. And these weren't just isolated incidents, you know, they pointed to this trend of increasing hostility and this breakdown of basic respect, you know, in the political world.

And he draws this really sharp contrast between the hostility that we see in politics today and, you know, what they went through in the 1960s. And while he acknowledges, you know, all the state sanctioned violence that they faced during the Civil Rights Movement, he says that back then, they could look to the federal government as a sympathetic referee, you know, as someone who would advocate for them as they challenged this deeply entrenched injustice.

Yeah, it's a crucial distinction. Yeah, even though they were facing unbelievable brutality, there was still the sense that there was a higher moral authority in the system that they could appeal to.

Exactly. And he felt like contemporary discourse had often lacked that, you know, that moral basis. It was like raising ethical questions or talking about the greater good.

It was seen as irrelevant or naïve, you know, and he also talks about how, you know, eloquent public speaking declined. And he connects that to a time when the public itself was more engaged in, you know, really wrestling with those questions of conscience and trying to figure out what was right and wrong.

Yeah. But, you know, his perspective wasn't all doom and gloom. You know, he shifts to this more hopeful note and says, finally, the people are awakening to the truth, the truth of their responsibility for the democratic process.

And he believed that people were starting to realize, you know, we can't just, you know, give our power away to elected officials and sit back and do nothing. You know, we have to stay engaged.

And that's where he talks about the Goliath, the collective power of the people finally waking up and remembering, you know, how strong they are and what they're capable of. And he saw people, you know, getting involved again and pushing for real change. And he was hopeful that the leaders would pay attention to this, you know, this warning and overcome, you know, all the division and the partisanship and the greed.

And he connects this, you know, this renewed energy of the Occupy movement as this recent example of people demanding change and recognizing how interconnected we all are on a global scale. It's about understanding that our problems are connected. We need to work together.

And that leads to the idea of the beloved community, you know, this vision of a society built on justice that recognizes the inherent dignity and worth of every human being. And he knew that, you know, struggle was going to be a part of getting there, you know, because tension motivates the imperative to change. So, he understood that progress often comes from confronting, you know, those uncomfortable things, those injustices.

Yeah, and he shares this really personal reflection, you know, about feeling like a wisp of dust as a young black boy in the Jim Crow South, you know, just feeling powerless against this overwhelming system of oppression. And he compares that to how some people feel today, you know, facing economic hardship. So, he's drawing this parallel between, you know, that historical fight for civil rights and the struggles that people face today with economic inequality.

And his main message is, you know, how important it is to build roads to communicate conscience, to leadership, you know, just like the civil rights movement did. And he saw Occupy and the Arab Spring as part of this global movement. And he emphasized that, you know, movements need clear goals, achievable goals, so they can keep going and make a real difference.

And in the end, he truly believed that real lasting social transformation starts with each of us. You know, in his statement, we must be the change we seek. It's such a strong call to action and to personal responsibility.

So now let's talk about one of the core principles that really sustained him through it all.

And that principle is faith. You know, it undergirded his life in the entire civil rights movement. And he addresses this question that he got a lot.

You know, how did you say committed to nonviolence when you were facing so much hate and brutality? And his answer is faith. But it's not just, you know, a simple belief.

It's this deep knowing.

Yeah, he defines faith as knowing in the solid core of your soul that the work is already done even as an idea is being conceived in your mind. So, it's not just, you know, hoping for the best. It's this unshakable conviction that what you believe in will eventually win.

You know, it's like knowing the way home. You're certain about it.

And it's really insightful how he connects this personal faith to a larger divine plan. You know, he refers to Shakespeare's idea that all the world is stage and suggests that there are these universal principles at work, you know, these boundaries that can't be crossed. So, it adds this whole other layer of depth to his understanding of faith.

Yeah. And he explains that they're nonviolent protests. They were a way of showing the world that they believed in deep down, that love had already overcome hate, that America's destiny based on its founding ideals, you know, couldn't coexist with the injustice of segregation.

So, their actions were a way of living out that faith.

And he talks about, you know, his own understanding of how irrational hatred is, and it comes from seeing the goodness in his own family and community. You know, despite all the discrimination they faced, he knew they were good people, hardworking, honest, and that just didn't match up with the prejudice they experienced. And it reinforced his belief that everyone has inherent worth.

And he says that for them, you know, the idea of equality, it wasn't just an abstract thing, it was this deep truth, and it created this cognitive dissonance for a lot of people who joined the movement. You know, this conflict between the reality they saw and this deep belief in human equality. Their whole being was yearning for a better world.

And he says that this kind of faith, it can sustain you through unimaginable suffering, you know, and while he recognizes that people talk about faith a lot, you know, in religion and self-help, he says that its real power comes through when it's tested, you know, when you're facing huge obstacles, and the civil rights movement, it was like this crucible where that kind of faith was forged.

And he talks about how the movement used faith as a shield against all those messages of inferiority that they were bombarded with, you know, they chose to believe that the hatred directed at them, it was an illusion, something in the minds of the oppressors, not a reflection of who they truly were. So, choosing faith became a form of resistance.

And he calls the struggle for civil rights a spiritual confrontation between the forces of unity and division and their faith. You know, it embraced the idea that everyone is equal, everyone has worth. You know, it rejected the idea that things like skin color or social status could determine a person's value.

So, it really emphasizes the moral dimension of their fight.

And he points out that in the beginning, you know, they didn't have any of the usual sources of power, no wealth, no political influence, no military power. Their strength came from their faith, you know, for the prayers and the resilience of their families, who had learned through generations of hardship how to make a way out of no way. And it just shows you the incredible strength of that community that fueled the movement.

And you know, that unifying power of faith, you can see it in the diverse backgrounds of the movement's leaders, you know, people like Diane Nash, Bernard Lafayette, Reverend Kelly Miller-Smith, Bob Zellner. You know, they all came from different places, but their shared faith had bound them together.

Yeah, he describes the early days of SNCC as this circle of trust, built on this unshakable faith in nonviolence. And it's amazing that their faith actually grew stronger in the face of violence and opposition, you know, led to more people joining and more public support. So, it shows you how faith can actually thrive under pressure.

And then he talks about their experiences in Parchman Prison in Mississippi after the Freedom Rides. And it was brutal, you know, they took away their Bibles, their toothbrushes, their mattresses, but they kept their faith. They sang freedom songs to lift their spirits.

And they even refused to post bail, you know, as a strategy to overload the system. And it just shows you how deeply committed they were.

And he ends that section by saying that the power of faith is transformative, not just for individuals, but for society as a whole. It connects us to the greatest source of power in the universe. And he says that when you're connected to that source, you're no longer vulnerable to degradation and oppression.

So, let's talk about another key tactic that they used.

And that's the power of waiting. And he uses the fight for voting rights in Selma, Alabama as the prime example. And he points out that even though the 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870, black people in the South still faced all these obstacles, you know, designed to stop them from voting.

And what's interesting here is how waiting, which seems passive, can actually be a powerful weapon.

Yeah, he describes the fierce opposition they faced, especially from Governor George Wallace and all these local officials who were determined to stop black people from voting in Selma, which became this symbol of just how deep racism ran in America.

And he goes into detail about all the ways they tried to suppress the black vote. You know, it wasn't just the violence and intimidation from groups like the White Citizens Council and the KKK. They also had these discriminatory laws like the grandfather clause, which said you could only vote if your grandfather could vote.

And then there were these literacy tests that were incredibly difficult and subjective.

And those literacy tests were rigged. And then he describes these four-page application forms, the limited hours at the registrar's office, how they post the names of applicants to intimidate them. And then the test itself was three parts.

And it could involve writing and interpreting parts of the Constitution and answering these really obscure questions about state and county law.

And the worst part was how they administer those tests. You know, it was completely unfair. There are even highly educated people, like college professors and lawyers.

They often failed. And he even talks about these ridiculous things, like having to count jelly beans or soap bubbles. And the result was that in Dallas County, where Selma is located, only about 300 out of 15,000 eligible black voters were actually registered.

And Congressman Lewis points out that the main battleground wasn't in the streets or in speeches. It was inside the registrar's office. You know, they had to wait for the office to open for their chance to go inside to take this impossible test to get the results, which they rarely did.

And ultimately, to wait for the laws themselves to change.

But their waiting wasn't passive. You know, they turned it into this powerful tool to expose how unjust the system was. They organized these huge, peaceful demonstrations at the courthouse on registration days, and they'd wait for hours in the heat, the cold, the rain for two years.

And it really showed how absurd the whole situation was.

Yeah, and even though they were completely nonviolent, Sheriff's Jim Clark and his deputies, they saw it as defiance, and they arrested hundreds of people and were often very brutal. But the demonstrators, they stuck to their principles of nonviolence because they knew that if they resorted to violence, it would go against everything they believed in, and it would also be a battle they couldn't win.

Yeah, and he tells this story about how Sheriff Clark called him an outside agitator. And he responded with quiet defiance and ended up getting arrested along with a lot of other people and their strategy of waiting and making sure the media was there to see it all. It really worked.

It brought the issue to the whole nation.

And he talks about how their strategy ultimately led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed a lot of those discriminatory practices after years of struggle. And he talks about President Johnson's speech comparing Selma to Lexington and Concord and Appomattox, and it was a huge victory. But he also reminds us that even that victory is under attack today, with people trying to weaken the law and suppress voting rights.

So, it shows that we always had to be vigilant about protecting our democracy.

Absolutely. And that brings us to another crucial element of their success study. You know, Congressman Lewis really pushes back against the idea that the civil rights movement was just this spontaneous outburst of emotion.

He says it was a result of years of study, strategizing, organizing and training in the principles of nonviolent resistance. And he acknowledges the work that was done by previous generations. You know, they laid the groundwork.

Yeah, he says that studying history is essential because it helps you understand where you fit in the continuum of change. And are you an early voice, a leader of a movement, or someone playing another vital role. And having that perspective, it gives you strength and helps you develop your strategy.

And he talks about how growing up, the NAACP was banned in his community. So, he had this feeling of wanting change, but no one to guide him, no network of activists. And it shows how important it is to actively seek out knowledge and understanding even when you're in an environment that tries to silence dissent.

And he emphasizes how important it is to study not just American history, but also political and philosophical thought. He says that today's movements for social change, they're always connected to things that happened in the past. And understanding those connections is crucial for being affected and making change that lasts.

And he uses Martin Luther King Jr. as the perfect example of how study can shape you into a great leader. He acknowledges King's charisma and the historical context, but he points out that King worked really hard to develop his intellect through academics and his deep understanding of justice and injustice.

He talks about how King came from a family of ministers and how he was determined to excel in his training. And he also talks about this story from King's childhood, where his white friends suddenly stopped playing with him because of segregation. You know, it was his early experience with racism that really shaped him.

And he contrasts King's path, which was, you know, more straightforward with his own, which was less direct, and says that there's this spirit that can order a person's steps, you know, guiding us towards our role in the movement for change, even if it starts in unexpected ways.

And he talks about how he didn't have the same educational opportunities as King growing up. And then he had this pivotal moment when he heard King's voice on the radio for the first time. And he says it was like a light turned on in my heart.

And it inspired him to seek out the end of LACP and eventually enrolled in the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, which put him right at the center of the movement.

And he emphasizes that preparing for activism, it takes many forms. It's not just about formal education, it's also about inner preparation and silent communion with a higher power. And he quotes Gandhi who said, it's the action, not the fruit of the action that's important.

So, it's about the effort itself, not just the outcome.

Yeah. And he highlights how the civil rights movement has influenced people all over the world. You know, activists and movements for social justice everywhere have learned from it.

And he gives this amazing example of a comic book about the strategies of the movement being translated and distributed during the Arab Spring uprisings in Egypt.

He makes this connection between uprisings throughout history and points out that even without today's technology, you know, the civil rights movement showed how powerful collective action can be. He says, we used what we had, we put our bodies on the line. And he ends by saying that every generation will have new leaders and new methods, but the goal of moving towards a visionary horizon with the radiance of faith and truth that remains the same.

So, the next big theme is the pursuit of peace. And he starts with this beautiful quote from Pema Children, peace is a tenderness that embraces all of life, even the unlovely.

And he reflects on the violence of the 20th century. He asked this really important question, have we really progressed as humans in our ability to coexist peacefully given all our advancements? And it makes you think about what progress really means.

Yeah, he shares this really moving story about visiting the Holocaust Memorial in Germany and really wrestling with the question of how something so horrific could happen and why it seems like we've become so desensitized to violence today.

And he delves into this difficult question of what is it about human nature, you know, that makes us project fear onto others, justify abuse and demonize those who are different. And he finds it troubling that despite all our knowledge and technology, we still haven't figured out how to live together in harmony.

Yeah, he talks about how we redefine peacekeeping is basically a show of military force and how nuclear weapons have made the potential for destruction even greater. And it really challenges the way we think about achieving and maintaining peace.

And he mentions Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech at Riverside Baptist Church a year before he was assassinated, where King questioned the spiritual cost of putting so much money into the military instead of programs that help people. And it makes you think about our priorities as a nation and what's truly important.

And he challenges us to think about whether marginalized groups in our own society, people involved in gangs, whether they might reflect some of our own failings as a society, and whether we're giving them the worst possible options. And he emphasizes that we all have to take responsibility for stopping violence because it starts with each of us.

And he brings back Dr. King's idea of the web of mutuality, how we're all interconnected and how important honesty and transparency are. And he asks these thought-provoking questions about whether international conflicts and domestic issues like gun violence and drug abuse are connected. You know, like there's this deeper societal problem.

Yeah, and he talks about this observation from a Buddhist priest who talked about the deep psychological and political defeat of focusing only on military victory. And our own Congressman Lewis argues that violence, even when it seems to work, it only offers a temporary solution. And it leaves behind all this suffering and this loss of virtue and this longing for peace.

And he asks his really powerful question, you know, if war leads to peace, then why isn't the world more peaceful than ever? And he points to all these movements that have used non-violence successfully like the Arab Spring, the Solidarity Movement in Poland, the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. And he asks why we don't recognize the power of non-violence in our own society.

And he reminds us of President Eisenhower's warning about the military-industrial complex and how our economy is so tied to war. And he contrasts that with how his parents, you know, they worked with an assistant and just run away from the South even though it was so oppressive.

And he says that the violence they faced during the movement, it was an opportunity for spiritual work. You know, it transformed them into an army of peace. And he tells this heart-breaking story about Sarah Collins Cox who was one of the girls in the bathroom of the Birmingham Church when it was bombed.

And she survived but she was badly injured and her sister was killed. And he talks about how she didn't have any anger. You know, it's just incredible.

And he asked this really tough question. How much war do we need before we realize it doesn't work? You know, it just hides the truth and delays reconciliation.

And he says that nonviolence isn't passive. It's confrontational. It requires you to be creatively maladjusted to the way things are.

And he says that true peace, it comes after you've gone through the hard work of truth and reconciliation.

Yeah, and he tells this inspiring story about Mother Pollard during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, who after years of enduring segregation, found peace in the midst of the struggle, you know, shows that peace can come from confronting injustice.

And he emphasizes that peace isn't for the weak. You know, it takes courage to face uncomfortable truths about yourself and the world. And he says that struggle is the act of making things right.

You know, activists are part of this long line of people fighting for justice and peace.

And he acknowledges that progress has been made in America since the 40s and 50s, you know.

And he talks about the election and inauguration of Barack Obama as this brief moment where we saw the power of peace. You know, this moment of unity and release. And he describes the feeling at the Democratic National Convention and at the inauguration, you know, the sense of hope and shared humanity.

And he highlights how the world reacted, you know, so positively, and how Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And it was a sign of hope for global reconciliation and peace.

And he ends by echoing the Dalai Lama's call to make the 21st century the age of peace, you know, with cooperation, healing and compassion as the foundation for a better world. And so finally, let's talk about how to put all this into practice.

Right. And he ends with these themes of nonviolence and reconciliation. And he starts these powerful words, this little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.

And it's such a simple phrase, but it captures the essence of his message.

And he asks these basic questions, you know, why struggle, why risk everything for progress that you might not even see? And his answer is that we all have this spark of the divine within us, you know, this capacity for good. And we're meant to awaken to this deeper awareness of our interconnectedness.

He explains that our thoughts and actions, they create our reality. And if we focus on negativity, we're wasting our power. And he says that all the injustice in the world, it comes from this belief that we're separate from each other, you know, this illusion of separation.

And the real turmoil comes from being in conflict with the truth that we're all connected.

And he links all these different movements, you know, Occupy the Arab Spring, the Civil Rights Movement, Gandhi's Salt March, the French Revolution. He says they're all expressions of humanity wanting something more, you know, rejecting systems that deny our basic worth and dignity.

He explains that our thoughts and actions, they create our reality. And if we focus on negativity, we're wasting our power. And he says that all the injustice in the world, it comes from this belief that we're separate from each other, you know, this illusion of separation.

And the real turmoil comes from being in conflict with the truth that we're all connected.

And he talks about the ripple effect of positive actions, you know, how every act of courage and justice makes it easier for others to follow, you know, and he draws this line from Gandhi to King to the struggles in Poland, to the Arab Spring to Occupy. It's all connected.

He said that each of us has a responsibility to use our inner light to fight against darkness and injustice. You know, if we do nothing in the face of wrong, it just makes it stronger.

So, to sum up, you know, we've seen how important faith is in the face of adversity, the power of nonviolent resistance, the crucial role of study and preparation, the pursuit of peace as the ultimate goal, and the importance of reconciliation, you know, recognizing our shared humanity.

And he ends with this call to embrace the eternity of love within us, you know, to let go of negativity, to choose our battles wisely and to stand up for what's right. And he says that by doing so, we become a beacon for all to see, and we help create the world we dream of, you know, a world of peace and justice

And we encourage you to think about how these principles apply to your own life and to the challenges you see in the world, you know. Think about how faith can give you strength, how nonviolence can be a powerful strategy, and how your own actions can contribute to change.

And as a final thought for you, our listener, you know, Congressman Lewis's life, shows us that real change doesn't come from anger or hatred, it comes from believing in a better future and taking action based on that belief. And it reminds us that even when things seem impossible, you know, the human spirit guided by faith and love and a commitment to justice, it can find a way to create a more just and peaceful world. Thank you so much for sharing these exopes with us and for taking this deep dive with us into the wisdom of Congressman John Lewis has been a really powerful experience.

It really has.

And we'll see you next time on The Deep Dive.

See you then. We hope you're leaving with fresh insights and a spark of inspiration. Remember to subscribe, leave a review, and check back for more episodes as we dive into new worlds of thought, one book at a time.

Until then, keep your mind set in stone and your curiosity open. This has been a Big L Riz Media Podcast, where big ideas meet lasting impressions.