A Story Lost?

My family on my maternal grandmother’s side has a deep relationship with the church and all of my grandma’s brothers (four of them in total) ended up being pastors in the Episcopal Church. I knew three of her brothers (Reggie, Fred, & Murray), but never had the blessing to meet Keith because he passed before I was born. Honestly, my faith was built on theirs.

Of my grandma’s brothers, I knew my Great Uncle Murray the best. Murray and his wife Muriel were amazing and their love for each other was inspirational. When Murray passed, we lost an incredible member of our family and I knew I needed to attend his memorial service.

As I sat in a pew listening to loved ones share stories of his life and impact, I was struck by one particular story of how he walked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma. That’s right my Great Uncle Murray, a white man and pastor in the South, stood up for civil rights and marched with folx to create change in our nation. He lost congregants because of his actions, but that didn’t matter because he believed in equity, humanity, and love.
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I wish I had been able to hear this story from him before he was gone, but nonetheless it made me proud to hear that a pastor in my family stood up for what is right and was not afraid of the consequences. It emboldens me to follow in his footsteps, to continue to boldly love and support those who may be in the crosshairs. Our Nation is at a crossroads and we need people, like my Great Uncle Murray, to stand up for what is right and good.