John Lewis Civil Rights Movement Summary

Social Gospel, Civil Rights Movement, and John Lewis
Can you imagine a world free of hate, poverty, starving children, where no race would be more superior than another, where no race would live in oppression? What kind of world would that be? It would be the world the Social Gospel strived to teach; a world full of love. March, the graphic novel written by Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell, tells the story of how a young John Lewis grows up on a chicken farm in Alabama to finding himself marching on the streets of Washington DC with other prominent Civil Rights Leaders. Respectively, various theologies were adapted by the Civil Rights Movement the Social Gospel being the most significant. Lewis made the Social
Gospel a part of his philosophy because it taught that this world should be free of social injustice, values the Social Gospel taught were an inspiration to the movement, and Lewis was in pursuit of the footsteps of Social Gospel preachers Martin Luther King, Jr and Jim Lawson.
Social injustices such as poverty, crime, racial tensions, poor schools, etc., are issues that the Social Gospel applied Christian morals to. Ministers who mainly rooted from the Protestant denomination began to connect salvation and good works hand in hand. Living a life that mirrored the life of Jesus Christ was a core idea they inculcated into its followers. The following passage supported their belief: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (NIV
Bible, Matthew 25:35-40).
In summary, what the verse is conveying is that when we do good deeds for our fellow brothers and sisters it is like doing it upon God. One of the main beliefs of the Social Gospel is that Jesus Christ will return to rapture his church and the Social Gospel taught that he would not return until mankind rid itself of social evils. Applying Christian ethics to social problems consequently is called values.
Values of the Social Gospel was instilled into the Civil Rights Movement.
Jim Lawson taught impressionable Black college students at the First Baptist Church in Nashville, TN Social Gospel idea’s. Lawson’s sermons would include, “The evil of racism, the evil of poverty, the evil of war.” (Lewis et al pg. 77). Moreover, Lawson was calling the college students into action by speaking of the inequitable treatment his people endured. Action that included sit-ins and non-violent protests. According to King, “Love is one of the pinnacle parts of the Christian faith. There is another side called justice, and justice is really love in calculation.” The essence of Kings statement is that segregation, unfair working conditions, poor education for Black children, poverty, illiteracy, hate-based crime, and deaths were some of the discriminatory treatments the African Americans faced. In the face of diversity, the Social Gospel fought injustice treatment with love, that is how justice is really love in calculation. One could ask himself how could I contend they challenged injustice with love? Because, the golden rule of Christianity tells us to “Love thy neighbor.” (KJV Mark 12: 30-31). Leaders of the early Civil Rights Movement became mentors to impressionable college
students.
Lewis’ mentors were Civil Rights Movement leaders and Social Gospel ministers Martin Luther King, Jr and Jim Lawson.
The first-time Lewis heard King preach, he didn’t even know who he was. “Then one Sunday morning in early 1955, I was listening to WRMA out of Montgomery when I heard a sermon…. Dr. King’s message hit me like a bolt of lightning. He applied the Principles of the church to what was happening now, today. It was called The Social Gospel…. And I felt like he was preaching directly to me.” (Lewis et al pg. 55-56). Lewis explains to us that it was at an early age that King made an immense impression on him. Additionally, Lewis’ clarifies to us precisely how he was inspired by King. “Dr. Kings example showed me that it was possible to do more as a minister than what I had witnessed in my own church. I was inspired.” (Lewis et al pg. 59). Lewis’ point is that from that moment, King became a paramount mentor in his life. See figure one. A few years later in 1958 Lewis’ was attending church at the First Baptist Church in Nashville, TN. That is where he first encountered Preacher Jim Lawson. “Jim talked about the Montgomery Bus Boycott, about war resistance, about nonviolence…. Jim Lawson conveyed the urgency of developing our philosophy, our discipline, our understanding. His words liberated me. I thought, this is it… this is the way out.” (Lewis et al pg. 77-78). Lewis points out clearly that Jim Lawson
directed him on a path that involved Social Gospel values. Lawson was a representative of the organization called Fellowship of Reconciliation better known as F.O.R. they were committed to the philosophy and discipline of non-violence. F.O.R. published a comic book called Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story. This comic book explained the main idea’s behind civil disobedience and non-violent action that the Civil Rights Movement stood behind. See figure two. Lewis says that from the moment he read the book his life was changed. These influences are what inspired young college students to stand up and resist. It is what helped configure the Civil Rights Movement.
The following quote by Dr. King sums up why the Civil Rights Movement adapted Social Gospel ideas, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” (Dr. Martin Luther King). The Social Gospel educated its young activists about love and that’s why the Civil Rights Movement adapted to its discipline. All men were created by God and it was the African Americans right to have justice. Justice which is told to us by King is really “love in calculation.” (Martin Luther King). Love could purge this world of social evils, love was an inspiration to a whole movement that their people could live free of persecution and social evils, two men (King and Lawson) who ministered of God’s love was motivation to others like John Lewis to spread that message.