Selma: Stillness Before the Storm - Progressive (Psalm 46:10)

As the sun began to break over the horizon on that historic day in Selma, Alabama, the air was thick with anticipation and a palpable spirit of resolve. A diverse group of marchers gathered at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, their hearts united in a quest for justice. Before they took their first step, they formed a circle, kneeling together in prayer—a powerful, intentional stillness amidst the chaos that surrounded them.

In that moment, they embodied the essence of Psalm 46:10, where God beckons us: “Be still, and know that I am God.” This stillness was not an act of retreat; it was a powerful preparation. They were not ignoring the urgent cries of injustice but were grounding themselves in the assurance that the God they served was greater than any tumultuous sea of opposition. In the backdrop, the roar of a nation in uproar echoed the psalmist’s words—the cries of a people yearning for freedom and dignity.

As they lifted their heads, the weight of their stillness transformed into a fierce resolve. This act of prayer was both strategic and subversive, like the calm before a storm; they drew strength from the One who promises to make wars cease. In that sacred pause, they understood that their actions would ripple beyond the bridge, reaching into the very fabric of society, igniting hope.

Each step they took across that bridge was not just a march for civil rights but a declaration that justice, rooted in God’s love, would ultimately prevail. Their stillness fueled a prophetic movement, reminding us that true activism begins not with noise, but with an unwavering trust in the God who is always with us, even in the fiercest storms.