[Reverend Samuel “Billy” Kyles, noted civil rights leader, died in Memphis on Tuesday at the age of 81]
Many things strike me about the moment the shot fired on April 4, 1968 stealing the life from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN. One of the most profound is that in this fractured scene Dr. King was accompanied by a friend and a man of God named Samuel “Billy” Kyles. It is one of the darkest moments for many who care about civil rights, social justice and racial reconciliation. Yet in that darkness Dr. King was not alone, abandoned, forgotten or forsaken. There, at the frontline of evil and despair, was another man of God, whose arms and heart were intertwined with Dr. King’s. The scene is a challenging call for all of us who call ourselves the people of God. A call to leave our comfort zones. A call to move to the frontlines. A call to be present with those who’ve taken a stand and to link arms and hearts with them. And a call to make sure that when the shots ring out, our voices ring louder.
