September 27, 2026
Rev. Lauren Smith
These are the words of the late John Lewis, U.S. Congressman and hero of the Civil Rights Movement: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month or a year—it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
Lewis’s entire life embodied that compassionate wisdom and begs the question: What spiritual risks does a life of integrity require of you? In a tenuous social and political environment, what good trouble might we embrace as a religious community?