On November 11, we boarded a plane for Atlanta en route to Montgomery, Alabama - home of the Equal Justice Initiative and historic site of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 - 1956.

Our Purpose: To travel as followers of Jesus, seeking to learn from the faithful witness of the Black Church during the Civil Rights Movement and to be formed by their courage, suffering, and hope.

Pilgrimage invites us to pause and remember. As we encounter sites of the Civil Rights Movement and the stories of those who suffered and struggled for freedom, we say, "This matters. God was - and is - here." 

"If one part suffers, every part suffers with it." - 1 Corinthians 12:26

As we connect to the stories of those who have come before us, we connect again to the Body of Christ across time and culture. 

The purpose of pilgrimage is not to consume history, but to be changed by it - to listen deeply, to honor the truth, and to discern how God calls us to live differently when we return home. Our prayer was that we would have the humility to listen, courage to feel, and faith to act, and that this journey would shape us into people who love mercy, seek justice, and walk humbly with God.