Written by Fran Jones, Elder, Central Presbyterian Church
Throughout human history there has been only one person who has fit the description of an ideal ruler, and that person was Jesus. Jesus taught us to love and what it means to “love your enemies.” He even prayed for those responsible for his death: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
Jesus cared for all people and he helped them in their times of need. He taught us that we must treat others the way that we would like others to treat us, otherwise known as “the Golden Rule.”
“What would Jesus do?” became a frequently-used phrase in the 1990’s; countless kids were sporting “WWJD” bracelets, T-shirts, wristbands, and more in order to support this trend. The trend encouraged us to live in a manner of love and truthfulness. It was an effective effort to make us follow Jesus more in our approach to loving mankind and to focus on honest living. The passing of John Lewis, an icon of the Civil Rights movement, on July 17, 2020 made me reflect on that WWJD trend.
Lewis was the epitome of a follower of Jesus. He devoted nearly his entire eighty years of life to fighting for equal rights, even if it meant dying for his beliefs. He advocated for voting rights and called the vote “the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democratic society.” To honor him and his legacy, I would hope that our government would pass the Voting Rights Act bill named after him. After all, WWJD?
“Justice too long delayed is justice denied.” –MLK Jr.