I remember Murphy on all the Freedom walks that we at the prison and jail held each year, her steady pace in the hot Georgia sun, the constant smile on her face and the sweet singing voice as we sang songs while we marched. RIP Murphy, you were a true Freedom Fighter

It was only today, December 9, 2020, that we at the Coalition for Prisoners\' Rights in Santa Fe NM received the 2021 Calendar with Murphy\'s letter.
Her loss is a gut punch. Some of us had met her years ago at a conference, others never in person, but monthly through her newspaper. We will be forever grateful and inspired and enriched by her love, work, clarity and wisdom. Thank you all for what you did for and gained from her and thus for us all.
We must stand strong in these most challenging times, together, in honor and respect for her life, and agreement with her beliefs.

(I, this writer, also found out that we shared a birth day, though not a year--I\'m several years older. But so glad to know--something to smile about, even now.)

From England we send our deep gratitude to God for Murphy’s influence on our lives. We never travelled across to the US to meet her but we felt we really ‘knew her’ through ‘Hospitality’ and through what others have written about this wonderful child of God who touched (and still touches) the lives of so many people with Gods grace and inspiration. From the standpoint of our belonging to the Iona Community, Murphy’s work and witness resonated on many levels and so for Ed and Hannah we continue to pray daily - and we will not stop.....

I, like so many others, am truly at a loss for words to capture the beauty and possibility that Murphy\'s presence ushered into my life. Murphy was an outstanding theologian, social advocate, cultural critic, storyteller, musician – an extraordinary woman, by all accounts. She lived the harsh and dreadful love in action of which Dostoevsky spoke so long ago, but with a joy and courage that I\'ve seen in few others. She always encouraged and affirmed me in my gifts of writing and music, and I loved singing alongside her with the Open Door band for the two years I was there. Even up to the end she was mindful of me and sent me a music book and some others from her shelf, thinking I might find them useful in my seminary program. Even when she had so much else to focus on, surrounded others she knew far better and loved far more intimately, she thought of me and made sure I knew it. That was one of her many gifts – that the world was seen by her with careful affection. Her life will continue to be a lesson to me for the rest of mine, I\'m certain. I am left with love, admiration, and gratitude for our friendship. So long, Murphy – it\'s been good to know ya.

I remember…
-Sitting in a class in seminary and hearing Murphy ring a bell every time a sexist remark was made.
-Sitting in a kitchen with Murphy and Ed and meeting her brother, Mac--farmer, carpenter and banjo player, and who was to become a life-long friend.
-Living cooperatively in Atlanta with Murphy and Ed and several other inter-connected families and singles, sharing our money and lives and vocations and never running out of anything.
-Playing with dozens of neighbor children near Clifton Presbyterian Church in the late 70’s where Murphy and Ed were co-pastors and carrying over 50 kids to see an Atlanta baseball game for 50 cents each. We were all in my International Harvester Travel All.
-Having breakfast for children from the housing project on Sunday mornings.
-Handing out $3 in plain envelopes to homeless folks. Meeting homeless and mind-troubled Joe and sharing lunch and shooting basketball with him in the park.
-4-year-old Gabriel awakening and coming down the Davis/Loring steps in his underwear and new birthday cowboy boots during an evening Bible study. When asked why he was crying so hard he said, “I peed in my boots.” Many of us peed in our boots in those days.
-Murphy and I unsuccessfully trying to coax Ed away from an Atlanta police car where he was arguing with the cops because he felt they were harassing a homeless man.
-After many years seeing Murphy and Ed at a friend’s funeral in Nashville and Ed saying, “Well, are you a Republican now?” Murphy said in exasperation “Eddddd!” And Ed’s reply, “We don’t have much time to talk so we need to cut to the chase.”
Murphy, I am looking forward to seeing you again.

Many of our remembrances of Murphy Davis celebrate
the depth of her commitment to and compassion for
the poor,
the imprisoned;
her prophetic stances for justice;
her passionate activism;
her articulate preaching and gifts of music…
not to mention her own brave battles with cancer and other health issues.

If anyone ever deserved to be canonized as “saint,” it would be Murphy.

But an equally important memory of Murphy for me was her love for children.
Regardless of whether it was
her own beloved granddaughter Michaela,
or my granddaughter,
or even a child she had never met,
Murphy would come alive in the presence of children.
She would light up a room with her pure, radiant joy when she was with a child.
She could make children think they were the most important person in the world.
Her love for children brings to mind the stories of Jesus and children, when he said,
“Let the children come to me and do not stop them,
because the realm of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16).

Thanks be to God for this dear friend, this champion of social justice, this lover of children!

Murphy\'s light and legacy shine brightly. She is large, and she contains multitudes. How fortunate that we have all become a part of her fabric, a multi-hued, multi-voiced body and soul-spirit that has no ending and no beginning -- it is past, present, and future. We are She.

Reflection 1: No matter how infrequently I entered Open Door Community, whenever Murphy arrived, usually walking down the staircase with purpose and clarity, a warm smile filled the room charged with enough energy to light up Ponce de Leon Avenue. She always made me feel welcome with a sense of \"somebody-ness\" that her nephew Todd talked about at the Homegoing.

Reflection 2: What a thrill to read Murphy\'s handwritten notes about the Imperial Hotel occupation when I was going through primary research documents for Raising Our Voices, Breaking the Chain: The Imperial Hotel Occupation as Prophetic Politics (Open Door Community Press). She wrote about the \"Imperial Surprises\": 1) More than [we] prayed for -- six hours to sixteen days; 2) Action on behalf of homeless people; 3) The most powerful action by homeless people in Atlanta’s history; 4) Attracting the attention of city officials to housing the homeless; 5) Completely tying up the mayor’s staff for three days, including the mayor himself for more than half a day and evening.” That building is a living monument comprising Murphy’s tenacity, justice, kinship, and love.

Thank you, Eduard, Hannah, Jason, and Micaela for giving us a chance to be pieces and parts of Murphy’s journey.

Dear Ed, my deepest sympathy is with you and your family, with all who had to let Murphy go. Unfortunately, I met Murphy only a couple of times. But I am full of gratefulness and admiration and smiles when I look back to these occasions. Most unforgetable: when you were in Hamburg in 2003 and Murphy held my baby daughter Lea-Susanna in her arms and kept repeating her name.
It is a pity that people have to pass away, but I believe that we only lost Murphy\'s body, not her spirit! I hope you can still feel her in your hearts. When I think of her, my face automatically smiles and my heart feels warm and my brain gets busy trying to catch up with all her wisdom and insights. I am quite certain that she is having fun in heaven and that she is a great joy to everyone!
Alles Gute wünscht Euch aus Hamburg, Birke

Giving thanks today for Murphy and for the homecoming service on Saturday. I have spent a great deal of time over the last few days reflecting on Murphy\'s impact on my life and vocation as well as the profound impact the Open Door Community has had on me. I celebrated the gift of the communion of all the saints from Open Door on Sunday, and especially Murphy, who is now in that number. Praying for Ed, Hannah, Jason, and Michaela as well as the extended family and for all of us who loved her so.

We ask that the Angels bring peace and love to all of yalland Angel to watch over y\'all for a while y\'all go through lossing Murphy Davis we love her also it\'s also hurting us also May God Be With You Now she be watching down over all that care about her and more now