#64 When Right Isn't Easy (Selma Marches 50th Anniversary)
Being a Christian and living the Gospel isn't always easy; in fact, it's usually challenging. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr experienced that as he fought for justice. So did Archbishop Iakovos when, despite opposition, he chose to stand with Reverend King in Selma. Fifty years after the Selma marches, let's look ahead to how we can live with the same spirit of courage and love.
As you watch the episode, consider:
1. Dr King faced tremendous adersity, but still did was was right and lived the Gospel. How can his example inspire us to do what's right, even when it isn't easy?
2. Archbishop Iakovos fought against the injustice he witnessed. In what ways can we stand up against the injustice we see in the world today?
3. Does difficulty often prevent us from living the Gospel? Why? How can we overcome adversity?
And here are some articles you may find to be helpful:
Hey everybody this is Steve, and doing what's right isn't always easy. A few weeks ago we talked about Dr Martin Luther King and why he's such an awesome example of putting our faith into action. This month we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of a really important episode from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's, the Selma marches. A huge part of the movement was the realization was full and equal voting rights for black Americans. Though black Americans legally had the right to vote, that right was routinely and systematically suppressed through intimidation and violence. In Selma Alabama, of the roughly 15,000 black Americans living in the county, only about 300 were registered to vote. After years of effort and little progress, local leaders invited Reverend King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to join the struggle in January of 1965.
On February 18th in nearby Marion, a state trooper shot civil rights activist and Baptist deacon Jimmy Lee Jackson, after authorities violently disrupted a peaceful march. Jackson died a few days later. This horrific and brutal event lead the SCLC to call for a historic and dramatic march from Selma to state capitol in Montgomery, over 50 miles away. About 600 people gathered for this march on March 7, 1965. As they peacefully crossed the Selma city limits, the protestors encountered a force of state troopers and a city posse began to beat the protestors, attack them on horseback, and fire tear gas at them. This horrible violent attack is remembered as Bloody Sunday. Dr King and the other movement leaders called for another march two days later. Reverend King called on people from across the country, especially clergy, to join the effort. He lead 2,500 marchers of many races, ethnicities, and religions across the bridge at the Selma city limits. When the marchers again encountered the troopers and posse, Reverend King knelt and prayed. He decided to wait for a court order that would protect the marchers from more violence.
Later that night, three Unitarian ministers, who came to Selma for the march, were attacked by members of the KKK and beaten. One of them died two days later from him injuries. A few days later, Archbishop Iakovos, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, flew to Selma for the murdered reverend's funeral. Racial tensions were so high that the plane was forced to land on a cow pasture outside the city. After the memorial service, 4,000 mourners marched from the chapel to the county courthouse, with Dr King leading the way. Marching by his side was Archbishop Iakovos. The growing support for the movement in Selma culminated in the successful and historic march to Montgomery, on March 17th 1965.
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