>From King to Obama, A Witness to History Joseph Lowery: From King to Obama, A Witness to History By Yonat Shimron Jan 26, 2011 When the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery gave the inaugural benediction at Barack Obama’s swearing-in ceremony, he saw himself performing a role in a national drama that began 45 years earlier when he stood alongside Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial. Gazing out at the masses assembled on the mall as he listened to King’s 1963 speech, Lowery says, “I was participating in the nation’s response to that call.”
Now 89, the Methodist preacher and civil rights leader is capping a career full of historic moments with a book of collected sermons and speeches. Singing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land (Abingdon Press; reviewed in this issue) reflects Lowery’s unquenchable thirst for justice as he calls the nation to fulfill God’s vision for society. “I never could get away from the gospel being an instrument to help make heaven our home but also to make our homes more heavenly,” he tells RBL during a telephone interview from his home in Atlanta. The book, which he assembled with his daughter Cheryl, contains reflections not only on his early days with King, but also on what he sees as present-day social ills such as the death penalty and the growing divide between rich and poor. In trademark African-American preacher style, he makes great use of parallels and rhymes, and in trademark Lowery style, he employs humor. The book’s title is a nod to Psalm 137, in which the ancient Israelites asked how they could sing to God while weeping over their captivity in Babylon. Unlike the ancient Israelites, says Lowery, black Americans took it upon themselves to sing and entertain their oppressors while at the same time challenging them with God’s message. “We used the opportunity to preach the gospel and raise the religious and theological questions of our condition.” With the book’s release in February, Lowery says his most pressing goal is to “make 90” on his next birthday, Oct. 6. If God grants him more time, he wants to continue writing and help secure a firmer financial footing for the Joseph E. Lowery Institute for Justice and Human Rights at Clark Atlanta University, which trains young people in civil rights action. “The election of Barack Obama was a sign of a new beginning,” he says. “But we’re witnessing a wave of resistance to what that election represents. We’ve got to be aware of that and not be fooled but remain true to our higher calling.” Yonat Shimron lives in North Carolina and writes about religion. Related Topics and Links: Also on PW Five Degrees Of Metadata: Small Changes Can Mean Big Sales more... First Fiction 2011 more... Spring 2011 Adult Listings more... -- http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/religion/article/45911-joseph-lowery-from-king-to-obama-a-witness-to-history.html Via InstaFetch -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Sixties-L" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sixties-l?hl=en.
