The Moral Moment

August 1957

A Moral Failure In History

With a goal of preventing the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 Senator James “Strom” Thurmond, Sr. and a delegation of legislators from South Carolina held the senate floor for more than 24 hours. Coined “The Racist Filibuster We Can’t Afford to Forget,” they set their sights on the voting rights bill, H.R. 6127, to preserve the evils of racial injustice.

“The only Civil rights bill to go before the senate in 90 years,” explained Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, this was Thurmond’s moment of moral failure, sealed in history by these words:

“I am here today to oppose the so-called civil-rights bill. Tyranny by any other name is just as bad. In other countries tyranny has taken the forms of fascism, communism, and absolute monarchy. I do not want to see it foisted on the American people under the alias of “civil rights.”

screenshot of N.J. Senator Corey Booker near the end of his historic 25-plus hour speech on the floor of the United States Senate. — Senator Chris Murphy: “What you have done today Senator Booker couldn’t be more different than what occurred on this floor in 1957. Strom Thurmond was standing in the way of inevitable progress towards equal, political, and economic rights for Black . . . Today you are standing in the way not of progress, but of retreat. You are standing in the way of retreat from the rule of law… to provide care to the most vulnerable.”

That moment hung in the air, a reminder, and a “Jim Crow relic,” said former President Barack Obama in 2020 remarks at the funeral of activist and Georgia Congressman John Lewis. It reminded us that we are not that far removed from the laws and “racial caste system which once operated primarily, but not exclusively, in southern and border states, between 1877 and the mid-1960s.” That moment hung in the air until Tuesday night, April 1, that is.

April 2025

“It IS A Moment!”

That is when New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, standing on the shoulders of his late mentor and father figure Senator John Lewis, stood in the way of the “retreat” of democracy and freedom in this country.

As reported in the Associated Press, Booker said “These are not normal times in our nation. And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.”

This moment was more than just a human making a stand. Sure, Thurmond’s record was broken, but also the chains from the evils of Jim Crow which dared to stay on history’s pages as a crowning moment for racism and fascism. If Senator Booker’s impact could be encapsulated in a few words it would be found in the affirmation his ally, Senator Chris Murphy.

“What you have done today Senator Booker couldn’t be more different than what occurred on this floor in 1957. Strom Thurmond was standing in the way of inevitable progress towards equal, political, and economic rights for Black Americans…only because the people of this nation were standing up at that moment…Today you are standing in the way not of progress, but of retreat. You are standing in the way of retreat from the rule of law… to provide care to the most vulnerable.”

Greater Than Politics

Greater than politics and superseding mere manipulation or maneuvering is the power of the sacrifice, intercession, advocacy, and the stand of an individual. Booker’s 25-hour stand on the Senate floor Tuesday, showed remarkable sacrifice, but his preparation with prayer and fasting holds the answer to why he was able to stand for so long.

With a plan of fasting from food beginning on the Friday before, and the end of drinking water on Sunday, Booker promised to stand as long as he was “physically able.” The stamina he displayed also garnered strength by the prayers of his mother and people across the world. I believe that because he fasted and was in prayer, he was strengthened by angels who blessed him with God’s strength and power to endure. The discipline of fasting and sacrifice enabled him to endure emotional, physical, mental, psychological discomfort and pain for change, and a chance to see evil eroded.

When Jesus said,

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free . . .” this modeled sacrificial and Christian living.

Jesus taught that sacrificial morality is an equal opportunity principle that looks out for everyone. Mark 6 and 8 describes two people groups: one group is the disfranchised, invalidated, voiceless, and voteless and the other is enfranchised, endowed, and powerful. Jesus set an example for us in taking the higher moral road of Kingdom politics which governs fairly over God’s people by caring for and providing the needs of both groups of people despite the prejudices of their day.

May we remember that every decision that we make today, and every stand that we take is greater than politics; it is a stand for the preservation of equal rights for all people.

Fasting to Stand

Celebration of the Resurrection is fast approaching, on April 20. Traditionally this is a time when faith communities gather in deep reflection of morality, sacrifice, and the cost of His life. When Jesus prepared to stand, He needed to walk in a way which allowed the full power of God to work within Him to do the impossible. Commemorating this stand includes modeling His examples of fasting, prayer, and service.

The marriage of sacrificial denial of self in order to be our best selves in service and commitment defending the vulnerable is part of why societies and communities thrive.

It is certainly timely that our hearts and minds are on Jesus’ life and lessons in spiritual warfare in this season because maybe we can understand that the demonic spirit of oppression and racism which held the filibuster record in the Senate could have only been conquered by prayer and fasting. After 5 days of lack and his strength gone, Booker stood strong in no other strength than the power of the Holy Spirit.

“There’s a great gospel song called ‘Stand,'” Booker said in one interview, “and it is one I use to empower myself…I use a lot of Gospel, my brother, to stand up to let myself know that my body was not capable for 25 hours but I knew that if I could tap into the Spirit…that binds us all together that I can make it through. . . .I was able to stand.”

40+6 Hours

Sacrificing To Endure: The Cross Moment!

As April 20 approaches and with our minds rejuvenated and empowered from the events over the last 24 hours, I pray that we remember the One who set the bar all the way high showing what the power of sacrificial morality looks like in His filibuster against Satan.

May we remember that Jesus prepared to take His stand and advocacy for us on the cross. May we remember that Jesus did not eat or drink, and suffered through physical, mental, psychological, spiritual, emotional, and relational pain in opposition to Satan and his oppression against us. I pray that we remember that we do have an example in Jesus that each and every one of us has the power to follow. We can all take a stand to not be bought or sold by the riches and power of this world. By losing we can gain more. By sacrificing and denying ourselves we can beat anything or principality which rises up against the kingdom of God. Jesus stayed on the cross until change came, until those who saw you and understood who he was, until the work was done.