“Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus … has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 9:17, NRSVue
Virginia Foster Durr (1903–1999) was raised in the heart of the segregated South, a “Southern belle” who once accepted racial hierarchy as simply the way of the world. But like Paul on the Damascus Road, her eyes were opened, and she underwent a transformation that reoriented her life.
Her turning point came as she studied the injustices around her and saw the toll segregation took not only on Black neighbors but also on the soul of her community. With courage, she renounced the values she was raised to protect and chose instead to stand with the oppressed. She and her husband Clifford became outspoken critics of Jim Crow and advocates for racial justice.
Virginia’s friendship with Rosa Parks was especially significant. She encouraged and supported Parks in her historic act of defiance on the Montgomery bus. In doing so, Virginia broke ranks with her social class and dared to live into a new vision of community, one where justice outweighed comfort and truth outshone tradition.
Like Paul, Virginia’s transformation reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s liberating grace. Her life testifies that even those raised within unjust systems can change, repent and stand as allies in God’s work of justice.
Reflection question:
Where have I been blind to the suffering of others, and what might it look like for God to open my eyes in this season?
Prayer: God who opens blind eyes, thank You for Virginia Durr, who laid down her privilege to pick up the cause of justice. Remove the scales from our eyes so that we, too, may see clearly where You are calling us to stand. Give us the courage to leave behind comfort and walk into solidarity with the oppressed. Amen
This passage is originally found in the 2026 Emmanuel McCall Lenten Devotional series, prepared by Cooperative Baptist Fellowship family and friends. Register to receive the daily devotional here.
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