John Lewis “loved the United States until the United States learned to love him again,” Baptist Church pastor Ebenezer said at the civil rights hero’s funeral Thursday in Atlanta.
The private funeral, where former President Barack Obama will give the eulogy, began at 11 a.m. in the church that was once led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
“We have come to say goodbye to our friend in these difficult days,” said the Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, senior pastor. “Come on, let the nation celebrate, let the angels rejoice … John Lewis, the boy from Troy, the conscience of Congress.”
Lewis, who represented Atlanta in the House of Representatives after serving as a young leader of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, died on July 17 after a month-long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old.
In addition to Obama’s praise, former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton spoke at the funeral that will conclude the memorial services held by Lewis for six days in various cities.
Bush said Lewis was “called to be a minister” at an early age and spoke about his care for chickens when he was younger. He joked that Lewis had once said that “his first chicken congregation listened to him more closely than some of his colleagues in Congress.”
The former president went on to say, “John Lewis believed in the Lord, believed in humanity, and believed in the United States.”
Clinton said of Lewis: “He was never discouraged … he kept moving.”
“It is important that all of us who love him remember that he was, after all, a human being,” he said. “A man, like all other humans, was born with strengths that he made the most of when many failed. He was born with weaknesses that he worked hard to overcome when many cannot.”
“It made me think even more,” Clinton said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was tearful as she recalled that Lewis was in the state on the same platform made in 1865 to support the body of President Abraham Lincoln.
Like Lincoln, he said, Lewis was spiritual and holy, but also a very good politician.
“When he spoke, people listened. When he led people, he followed him, “he said.
Activist James M. Lawson also spoke, and former Atlanta Mayor William Craig Campbell and Lewis’s niece were also on the show. President Donald Trump will not attend.
Bernice King, a daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., said a prayer in the service and called Lewis a “nonviolent warrior who fought for true peace.”
“We are completely grateful, oh God, who lived among us for four years and demonstrated on that bridge that physical strength is no match for soul strength,” he said.
After the funeral, there will be a burial at the South-View Cemetery, where Lewis will be buried alongside his wife, Lillian.
Hours before the funeral began, The New York Times published an essay written by Lewis shortly before his death. He wanted it published on the day of his funeral.
“While my time here has come to an end, I want you to know that the last days and hours of my life inspired me,” he wrote in response to recent protests domestically and abroad caused by the death of George Floyd. , Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks, all black.
“You filled me with hope for the next chapter in great American history when you used your power to make a difference in our society,” he wrote. “Millions of people motivated simply by human compassion imposed the burdens of division. Across the country and the world, you leave race, class, age, language, and nationality aside to demand respect for human dignity.” .
Lewis recalled that when he was young and searching, he heard King’s voice on “an old radio.”
“I was talking about the philosophy and discipline of nonviolence,” wrote Lewis. “He said that we are all complicit when we tolerate injustice.”
He ended his essay by saying, “Although I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest call of your heart and stand up for what you really believe.”
Earlier this week, Lewis lay in state at the US Capitol Rotunda, where a bipartisan group of lawmakers and members of the public paid their respects. Ceremonies were also held to honor her legacy in Selma and her hometown of Troy, Alabama.
