Last week, a group of ten of us returned from a Civil Rights Pilgrimage to Montgomery and Selma, Alabama. It was a powerful and transformational journey. We visited The Equal Justice Initiative Memorials and Museum, Civil Rights history sites, and got to spend time with people who grew up in Montgomery to hear their experiences and stories.
Montgomery is a complicated and beautiful place. It was one of the largest slave trading communities in the nation, and it was where Rosa Parks stayed seated and sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It was also the birthplace of the Confederacy and the historic destination of the marches from Selma to Montgomery led by Dr. King. When you walk around the streets, you can feel the haunting past and the courage and resiliency of people who pushed for justice. Pilgrimage is a deeply spiritual practice and getting to retrace the footsteps of our history helped us move from head knowledge to embodied wisdom. I am reminded when Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marched with Dr. King, and when Rabbi Heschel returned home, people asked him, “Rabbi, did you have time to pray when you were in Selma?” To which Rabbi Heschel responded, “I prayed with my feet."
For five days, we prayed with our feet, and I would like to share some reflections from our group:
"Joining with others seeking to learn and grow brought me tremendous joy as we all sought spiritual growth together, walking and singing toward justice."
"Words really aren't adequate to capture the full depth and breadth of our pilgrimage... harrowing and joyful."
"The pilgrimage put me in closer community with others called to see more justice in this world. It sharpened my knowledge and made me, with the support of my faith community, more ready to challenge injustice."
"What you shared and accepted from me is now a strength for a new way of living and seeing the world."
"For five days, we lived Beloved Community within our group, with those who taught us, with those with whom we worshiped and with all we encountered along the way."
We are excited to share more from our pilgrimage and invite others who may feel called to go on a pilgrimage like this. Rev. June Cooper, who led our pilgrimage, will be preaching at both services on May 11, and then we will have a forum to share more stories and experiences from our pilgrimage, as well as the Sacred Ground curriculum that many participated this year.
With gratitude,
Rev. Janelle
