John Lewis funeral: Obama gives powerful eulogy after Clinton, Pelosi, Bush and more give moving tributes
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John Lewis will go down in history as the founding father of a better America, former president Barack Obama said during powerful eulogy to the civil rights hero.
Mr Obama was the fourth former president to deliver remarks at the funeral after Bill Clinton and George W Bush spoke, and a letter from Jimmy Carter was read out, to mourners gathered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
"The life of John Lewis was in so many ways, exceptional. It vindicated the faith in our founding, redeemed that faith, that most American of ideas," Mr Obama said.
The celebration of Mr Lewis' life turned to the hope for his legacy as Mr Obama used the famous pulpit of MLK to rally support for voting reform ahead of the 2020 election between his former VP Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Mr Trump was the only recent living president not to make an appearance of some kind at the service, though his actions cast a long shadow over the messages of speakers.
"There are those in power that are doing their darndest to discourage people from voting by closing polling locations and targeting minorities and students with restrictive ID laws and attacking our voting rights with surgical precision, even undermine the postal service, in the run up to an election that's going to be dependent on mail in ballots so people don't get sick," Mr Obama said.
"I know this is a celebration of John's life, there are some who might say we shouldn't dwell on such things. But that's why I'm talking about it. John Lewis devoted his time on this earth fighting the very attacks on democracy, and what's best in America, that we're seeing circulate right now."
Mr Bush and Mr Clinton earlier focused on the life of Mr Lewis and the better future he created for the country.
Mr Bush had mourners in hysterics as he remembered Mr Lewis's early childhood while Mr Clinton spoke about the lessons he has learned from the late congressman.
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John Lewis funeral begins
Drapped in an American flag, the coffin of John Lewis was carried into Ebenezer Baptist Church on Thursday morning as more than 500 churches in Atlanta and across the country marked the start of the funeral for the late Congressman and civil rights hero.
Churches across the country ring bells for John Lewis
Bells rang 80 times to mark the age that Mr Lewis passed, while Former presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush were among the first to deliver eulogies.
Four ex-presidents deliver remarks to John Lewis funeral
Barack Obama is expected to deliver a eulogy shortly, but in the meantime a letter from Jimmy Carter was read out by Reverend Raphael Warnock.
'An inspiration for generations to come' - Jimmy Carter
Former president Jimmy Carter said in his letter delivered to the funeral service:
"Throughout his remarkable life John has been a blessing to countless people and we are proud to be among those who's lives he has touched," he said.
"We Georgians know him as our neighbour, friend and representative. His enormous contributions will continue to be an inspiration for generations to come."
Donald Trump called out at John Lewis funeral
While three ex-presidents attended in person, and Mr Carter contributed with the letter, Donald Trump has indicated he would not be at the funeral.
Earlier, Reverend Warnock invoked the current president as he welcomed mourners to the spiritual home of Mr Lewis, saying they were summoned to honour the civil rights hero as "some in high office" are much better at division than vision.
"In a moment when there is so much political cynicism and narcissism that masquerades as Patriotism, here lies a true American patriot who risked his life and limb for the hope and the promise of democracy," Mr Warnock said.
'We live in a better and nobler country today because of John Lewis' George W Bush
Mr Bush was the first president to address the funeral, having mourners in hysterics as he recounted Lewis' first non-violent protest of refusing to eat his own "flock" of chickens, who he baptized, married and preached to.
"Every morning he would rise before the sun to attend the flock of chickens. He loved those chickens," Mr Bush said.
"He's been called an American saint, a believer willing to give up everything. Even life itself to bear witness to the truth that drove him all his life. That we could build a world of peace and justice and harmony and love."
He added: "We live in a better and nobler country today because of John Lewis"
'An absolutely uncanny ability to heal troubled waters' - Bill Clinton
Mr Clinton followed Mr Bushed and riffed on his chiken-story, saying that for a fellow who got his start speaking to chickens, Mr Lewis received a finely organized, orchestrated and deeply deserved send-off this week.
"I think it's important that all of us who love him remember that he was after all, a human being. A man like all other humans born with strengths that he made the most of when many don't," Mr Clinton said.
"Born with weaknesses that he worked hard to beat down when many can't. But still a person. It made him more interesting, and it made him in my mind even greater."
He continued: "He got into a lot of good trouble along the way, but let's not forget he also developed an absolutely uncanny ability to heal troubled waters."
"When he could have been angry and determined to cancel his adversaries, he tried to get converts instead. He thought the open hand was better than the clenched fist."
Malignancy of racism in Alabama as a boy influenced the man John Lewis became
Reverend James Lawson added more context, saying that all the stories about Mr Lewis preaching to his chickens as a young boy were a sign that something else was happening to him in those early years.
"John saw the malignancy of racism in Troy Alabama," he said. "That formed in him a sensibility that he had to do something about it."
Mr Lawson continued: "He did not know what that was but he was convinced that he was called, indeed to do whatever he could do, get in good trouble, but stop the horror that so many folks lived through and in in this country in that part of the 20th century."
'Non-violently insisting about the truth' - Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, held back tears and she remembered the night their friend, mentor and colleague died.
"When John Lewis served with us he wanted us to see the civil rights movement and the rest through his eyes. He told us so many stories, he taught us so much and he took us to Selma," she said. "He wanted us to see how important it was to understand the spirit of non-violence."
She said that while it hadn't rained on his last night at the Capitol as thousands of people showed up to pay their respects, a double rainbow appeared over Mr Lewis's casket.
"We waved goodbye when he started to leave us. He was telling us. He was telling us. I'm home in heaven. I'm home in heaven. We always he knew he was on the side of the angels and now he's with them," she said.
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